Which term is defined as the cause of disease?

Which term is defined as the cause of disease?

• A. Etiology
• B. Pathogenicity
• C. Intervention
• D. Epidemic

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is identifying the cause of disease. That concept is etiology, which refers to the factors that bring about disease—the root causes or set of causes, including biology, genetics, behavior, and environmental exposures. Understanding etiology helps public health professionals pinpoint what triggers a disease and how to prevent it. Pathogenicity is about the ability of a pathogen to cause disease and how severe it can be once infection occurs; it describes the pathogen’s capabilities rather than the overall cause. Intervention refers to actions taken to prevent or control disease, not to its underlying cause. Epidemic describes a pattern of disease occurrence—a higher-than-expected number of cases in a community during a specific time—not the cause itself. So, the term defined as the cause of disease is etiology.

The main idea here is identifying the cause of disease. That concept is etiology, which refers to the factors that bring about disease—the root causes or set of causes, including biology, genetics, behavior, and environmental exposures. Understanding etiology helps public health professionals pinpoint what triggers a disease and how to prevent it.

Pathogenicity is about the ability of a pathogen to cause disease and how severe it can be once infection occurs; it describes the pathogen’s capabilities rather than the overall cause. Intervention refers to actions taken to prevent or control disease, not to its underlying cause. Epidemic describes a pattern of disease occurrence—a higher-than-expected number of cases in a community during a specific time—not the cause itself.

So, the term defined as the cause of disease is etiology.