Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

When I was in medical school, the difference between epidemic and pandemic was explained as thus:

An epidemic is a disease outbreak which is confined to one country or hemisphere; pandemic referred to a disease which occurred throughout the entire world. Thus, the current H1N1 outbreak does qualify as a pandemic (as did the flu outbreak of 1918). (However, it certainly doesn't seem to be such to me, considering that it is so sporadic, and generally mild.)

Dr. David Evans