ESL Podcast 721 - A Widespread Epidemic
outbreak - the moment when something begins to happen very suddenly, affecting many people
The outbreak of war caused panic in the streets.
disease - illness; something that makes a person sick
Dominic suffers from a rare disease that makes his legs weak.
to come down with - to begin to have a particular illness; to become sick
I've had a headache all day and my nose is stuffed up. I think I'm coming down with a cold.
health authorities - a government agency and/or important doctors who are responsible for monitoring people's health and/or preventing illnesses
The health authorities require restaurant workers to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before touching food.
localized - concentrated in a particular area; limited to a particular area, not affecting the surrounding area
The wildfires are still localized, but if it gets windy, they'll probably move into a larger area.
widespread - covering or affecting a very large area
The central bank's announcement has led to widespread fears that prices will go up.
rare - unusual; uncommon; not typical
Due to changes in this area, finding wolves in the wild is very rare.
alarmed - shocked, surprised, and worried about something
Ollie was alarmed when he realized it was 11:00 and his daughter still hadn't come home.
communicable - contagious; referring to a disease that can be passed among people or animals
Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze is one way to slow down the spread of communicable diseases.
epidemic - when many people are sickened by a particular disease in a short period of time
When the water treatment facilities stopped working, everyone became worried about a cholera epidemic.
pandemic - when many people are sickened by a particular disease throughout a very large part of the world
Much of Africa is facing an AIDS pandemic.
symptom - something that is wrong with one's body and indicates a medical problem or an illness
Some of the symptoms of a heart attack include shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pain.
sufferer - a person who has a disease or medical condition and feels pain or discomfort
Pharmaceutical companies are trying to create new drugs that will help sufferers of muscular dystrophy.
announcer - a person who presents information, especially on a TV show or a radio program
A good announcer needs to be able to read aloud very clearly.
fate - the outcome of particular situation; the course of one's life, perhaps beyond one's control
Bin's brother failed the test, but Bin plans to take it next year and hopes he won't follow the same fate.