Ebola: Epidemic vs. Pandemic - Understanding the Difference

An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time. A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or even worldwide, affecting a substantial number of people.

Based on the given definition, Ebola can be classified as an epidemic. While there have been several outbreaks of Ebola in different regions of the world, it hasn't reached the level of a pandemic where it has affected a substantial portion of the global population across multiple continents.