Epidemics, or infectious disease outbreaks, are invariably disruptive and tend to have far-reaching effects on individuals and communities. Humanity has endured a myriad of epidemics, some of which have wiped out entire communities.
The impact of an epidemic depends on a range of factors. These include the level of contagion, availability of effective remedies, the responsiveness of health systems and the impact on human life such as disability and death. Other factors can play a part too; for example, asking people to change their behaviour, or prevailing social norms. With big epidemics such as HIV/Aids and Ebola, loss of family members means economic and social hardship for many dependants.
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