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There may be various reasons responsible for the outbreak of epidemics or infectious diseases. Factors like genetic changes in the pathogen, change in host population’s ecological setup or due to introduction of new pathogen into the host population.
During epidemic, the spread of infection is mostly restricted to a particular region or location. However, it may spread into other continents or countries affecting a considerable number of people. In such scenarios, epidemic may be termed as pandemic spreading to other regions. A contaminated food item or drinking water, migration of animals like mosquitoes or rats may serve as carriers of spreading the infection, leading to epidemic.
