Outbreak - An unexpected increase in the incidence of a particular disease over a given time period and geographic range. A general term that may refer either to an epidemic or a pandemic.⏎
Prion - A causative agent of infectious disease that is composed primarily of protein.⏎
Organism - A living being that can reproduce, grow, react to external stimuli, and maintain its internal equilibrium.⏎
Reservoir - An organism in which a parasite that is pathogenic for some other organism lives and reproduces without harming its host.⏎
Plasmid - A ring of DNA usually found in bacteria that is separate from and can replicate independently from DNA in a chromosome and can provide bacteria with some advantages, such as antibiotic resistance.⏎