Endemie

Endemie is a term used in epidemiology to denote the stable, ongoing presence of a disease within a particular geographic area or population. In English, the corresponding concept is endemicity; in some languages the noun form endémie or endemie is used. Endemie describes a baseline level of transmission or disease occurrence that remains relatively constant over time, aside from seasonal or short-term fluctuations. It contrasts with epidemic, where incidence exceeds the expected baseline, and with sporadic cases, which occur irregularly.

Causes and determinants: Endemicity is shaped by a combination of pathogen characteristics, host immunity, vector ecology, climate, population density, and public health interventions. The baseline rate can reflect a balance between transmission and immunity or other factors that limit spread.

Examples: Malaria is endemic in many tropical regions where the parasite and vector circulation are stable. Seasonal influenza shows regional endemicity with regular annual circulation. Some zoonotic diseases remain endemic in certain animal-human interfaces.

Public health relevance: Understanding endemicity helps allocate resources, schedule vaccination campaigns, and design long-term control strategies. Interventions may include vaccination, vector control, improved sanitation, and surveillance to detect shifts from endemicity.

See also Endemicity, Epidemiology, Public health, Transmission dynamics.