Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Endemic MeansEndemic vs. EpidemicExamplesPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Endemic Means
Endemic vs. Epidemic
Examples
Prevention
A disease isendemicif it is consistently present but limited to a certain region. This differs from anepidemicin which there is a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease or apandemicin which a disease has spread over several countries or continents.
Examples of endemic diseases includemalaria, an infectious disease consistently seen in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.In the United States,HIVandhepatitis Care considered endemic because of theirprevalence(meaning the proportion of the population affected over a given period).
This article describes what makes a disease endemic and how it differs from epidemic and pandemic diseases. It also offers examples of endemic diseases and ways to prevent them.
What Does ‘Endemic’ Mean?
By way of example, if 1,000 cases of a disease are reported in a population of 100,000 people from 2023 to 2024, the annual prevalence is said to be 0.01, or 1%.
By definition, a disease is said to be endemic if the prevalence remains stable within a region and persists with fairly predictable rates of infection and spread.
Endemic diseases do not have to be present at high levels. They can also be relatively rare. The defining feature is that the disease is always found in a region or population irrespective of whether there are a few cases or many.
One such example ishuman rabieswhich is seen consistently at low levels in countries like Cote d’Ivoire.Until it is fully eradicated, it can be regarded as endemic as long as it continues to persist.
How Endemic Differs From Epidemic
Endemic diseases are often confused with epidemic diseases, but each is a distinct classification. The same is true of pandemic diseases.
Endemic diseases are often referred to as the “baseline” because they are used to monitor for any increases in the prevalence or incidence of a disease.
By definition:
These terms can be confusing to the general public as it is often unclear at which point an endemic disease becomes epidemic or at what stage an epidemic disease becomes pandemic.
Adding confusion are terms like “cluster” (meaning an unusual grouping of a disease in a specific time and place) and “outbreak” (describing a localized rather than generalized epidemic).
What Is the Difference Between an Epidemic and a Pandemic?
Verywell / Michela Buttignol
Examples of Endemic Diseases
There are numerous endemic diseases worldwide as well as in the United States. Many persist at relatively stable levels, while some like the flu have seasonal spikes.
Influenza
Research suggests that influenza has been endemic for at least 500 years. Today, about 8% of the U.S. population becomes sick with an influenza virus each year.
Types of Flu Vaccines, Explained
Malaria
Malaria is endemic in many areas of Africa and Asia. The highest prevalence is found in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Oceania, including Papua New Guinea.
Globally, 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths were reported in 85 countries in 2022. More than half of all cases were reported in four countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Mozambique.
Efforts to control malaria have led to a reduction in prevalence in some countries. This includes draining swamps that breed malaria mosquitoes, distributing insecticide-treated bed nets, and using interior insecticides in high-prevalence regions.
Hepatitis B
There is avaccineavailable to prevent hepatitis B. If a person is planning on traveling to an area where HBV is endemic, vaccination is usually recommended.
HBV vaccine is also recommended for:
Vaccination against HBV is also part of the standardchildhood immunization schedulein the United States.Even so, up to 2.4 million people in the U.S. are chronically infected, while the HBV prevalence hovers at around 4.3%.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)is considered to be endemic in many countries, including the United States which has a prevalence of roughly 3.3.%.
In 2021, 1,086,806 people were living with HIV in the U.S., while 36,126 were newly diagnosed.
Whileantiretroviral drugshave greatly reduced the spread of infection, new infections persist nevertheless due in large part toHIV stigmaandhealth disparitiesin the United States.
As a result, HIV prevalence in the United States is today the highest of all developed countries. Globally, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, India, Kenya, and the United States have the highest disease burden in terms of overall prevalence.
Preventing Illness in Endemic Phase
A disease that is endemic today doesn’t always have to be. Such was seen with diseases likepolioandsmallpox, both of which were declared eliminated due to aggressive vaccination programs.
On the flip side, diseases that were once declared eliminated can pop up in regional outbreaks if vaccines are avoided. This has been seen from 2019 to 2024 with isolated measles outbreaks in parts of the United States.
This is why it is important to get the recommended vaccines for avoidable endemic diseases like hepatitis B. Others include:
When traveling overseas, getting vaccinated foryellow fever, malaria, andcholeracan also help prevent infection.
In the absence of available vaccines, safer sex practices can help reduce your risk of sexually transmitted infections like HIV. This includes reducing your number of sex partners andusing condomscorrectly and consistently.
The daily use of antiretroviral drugs can also reduce your risk of getting HIV, a strategy referred to aspre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.
How Effective Is PrEP at Preventing HIV?
Summary
An endemic disease is a disease that is always present in a particular population or region and is expected to remain so. It serves as the baseline from which epidemiologists monitor for changes that might indicate a disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic. Some examples of endemic diseases are the flu, malaria, and HIV.
22 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Epidemic, endemic, pandemic: what are the Differences?European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.Facts about malaria.Khabbaz RF, Moseley RR, Steiner RJ, Levitt AM, Bell BP.Challenges of infectious diseases in the USA.Lancet.2014 5-11 July;384(9937):53–63. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60890-4Bloom DE, Cadarette D.Infectious disease threats in the twenty-first century: strengthening the global response.Front Immunol. 2019;10:549. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.00549World Health Organisation.Reported number of human rabies deaths.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Epidemiology glossary.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ebola disease.World Health Organization.Coronavirus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About flu.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About pandemic influenza.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Where malaria occurs.World Health Organisation.Malaria.World Health Organization.Hepatitis B.Ventola CL.Immunization in the United States: recommendations, barriers, and measures to improve compliance: part 1: childhood vaccinations.P T. 2016;41(7):426–436.Kruszon-Moran D, Paulose-Ram R, Martin CB, Barker L, McQuillan G.Prevalence and trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the United States, 2015–2018.NCHS Data Brief, no 361. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2020.AIDVu.Local data: United States.Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquired Immune Def Syn. 2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014Govender RD, Hashim MJ, Khan MAB, Mustafa H, Khan G.Global epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: a resurgence in North America and Europe.J Epidemiol Glob Health.2021 Sep;11(3):296–301. doi:10.2991/jegh.k.210621.001American Society for Microbiology.Disease eradication: what does it take to wipe out a disease?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measles cases and outbreaks.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care system.
22 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Epidemic, endemic, pandemic: what are the Differences?European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.Facts about malaria.Khabbaz RF, Moseley RR, Steiner RJ, Levitt AM, Bell BP.Challenges of infectious diseases in the USA.Lancet.2014 5-11 July;384(9937):53–63. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60890-4Bloom DE, Cadarette D.Infectious disease threats in the twenty-first century: strengthening the global response.Front Immunol. 2019;10:549. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.00549World Health Organisation.Reported number of human rabies deaths.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Epidemiology glossary.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ebola disease.World Health Organization.Coronavirus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About flu.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About pandemic influenza.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Where malaria occurs.World Health Organisation.Malaria.World Health Organization.Hepatitis B.Ventola CL.Immunization in the United States: recommendations, barriers, and measures to improve compliance: part 1: childhood vaccinations.P T. 2016;41(7):426–436.Kruszon-Moran D, Paulose-Ram R, Martin CB, Barker L, McQuillan G.Prevalence and trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the United States, 2015–2018.NCHS Data Brief, no 361. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2020.AIDVu.Local data: United States.Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquired Immune Def Syn. 2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014Govender RD, Hashim MJ, Khan MAB, Mustafa H, Khan G.Global epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: a resurgence in North America and Europe.J Epidemiol Glob Health.2021 Sep;11(3):296–301. doi:10.2991/jegh.k.210621.001American Society for Microbiology.Disease eradication: what does it take to wipe out a disease?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measles cases and outbreaks.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care system.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Epidemic, endemic, pandemic: what are the Differences?European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.Facts about malaria.Khabbaz RF, Moseley RR, Steiner RJ, Levitt AM, Bell BP.Challenges of infectious diseases in the USA.Lancet.2014 5-11 July;384(9937):53–63. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60890-4Bloom DE, Cadarette D.Infectious disease threats in the twenty-first century: strengthening the global response.Front Immunol. 2019;10:549. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.00549World Health Organisation.Reported number of human rabies deaths.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Epidemiology glossary.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ebola disease.World Health Organization.Coronavirus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About flu.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About pandemic influenza.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Where malaria occurs.World Health Organisation.Malaria.World Health Organization.Hepatitis B.Ventola CL.Immunization in the United States: recommendations, barriers, and measures to improve compliance: part 1: childhood vaccinations.P T. 2016;41(7):426–436.Kruszon-Moran D, Paulose-Ram R, Martin CB, Barker L, McQuillan G.Prevalence and trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the United States, 2015–2018.NCHS Data Brief, no 361. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2020.AIDVu.Local data: United States.Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquired Immune Def Syn. 2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014Govender RD, Hashim MJ, Khan MAB, Mustafa H, Khan G.Global epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: a resurgence in North America and Europe.J Epidemiol Glob Health.2021 Sep;11(3):296–301. doi:10.2991/jegh.k.210621.001American Society for Microbiology.Disease eradication: what does it take to wipe out a disease?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measles cases and outbreaks.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care system.
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.Epidemic, endemic, pandemic: what are the Differences?
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.Facts about malaria.
Khabbaz RF, Moseley RR, Steiner RJ, Levitt AM, Bell BP.Challenges of infectious diseases in the USA.Lancet.2014 5-11 July;384(9937):53–63. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60890-4
Bloom DE, Cadarette D.Infectious disease threats in the twenty-first century: strengthening the global response.Front Immunol. 2019;10:549. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.00549
World Health Organisation.Reported number of human rabies deaths.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Epidemiology glossary.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ebola disease.
World Health Organization.Coronavirus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About flu.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key facts about influenza.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About pandemic influenza.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Where malaria occurs.
World Health Organisation.Malaria.
World Health Organization.Hepatitis B.
Ventola CL.Immunization in the United States: recommendations, barriers, and measures to improve compliance: part 1: childhood vaccinations.P T. 2016;41(7):426–436.
Kruszon-Moran D, Paulose-Ram R, Martin CB, Barker L, McQuillan G.Prevalence and trends in hepatitis B virus infection in the United States, 2015–2018.NCHS Data Brief, no 361. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2020.
AIDVu.Local data: United States.
Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquired Immune Def Syn. 2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014
Govender RD, Hashim MJ, Khan MAB, Mustafa H, Khan G.Global epidemiology of HIV/AIDS: a resurgence in North America and Europe.J Epidemiol Glob Health.2021 Sep;11(3):296–301. doi:10.2991/jegh.k.210621.001
American Society for Microbiology.Disease eradication: what does it take to wipe out a disease?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Measles cases and outbreaks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) care system.
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