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Chronic disease

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Chronic disease  (CHRONIC disease)


Infectious diseases1 or communicable diseases1 have attracted particular attention, because they are capable of infecting large numbers of persons within relatively short time intervals. In such instances we speak of epidemics2, and special epidemiological statistics3 are collected to show their incidence. It is possible to obtain information about these illnesses because legislation in various countries has made many of them reportable; they are therefore called notifiable diseases4. A distinction is sometimes made between chronic diseases5 and acute diseases6. These terms are not precisely defined, but acute diseases are generally understood to be those of abrupt onset and short duration whilst chronic diseases are those with slow onset and long duration, and often causing prolonged disability.

  • 1. infectious adj. — infect v. — infection n.
  • 2. epidemic n., also used as adj. — epidemiology, the science dealing with epidemics, epidemiologist, a specialist in epidemiology, — epidemiological adj., appertaining to epidemiology.


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