epidemiology

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)The branch of science dealing with the spread and control of diseases, viruses, concepts etc. throughout populations or systems.

   “In addition to new diseases, Quammen touches on many of the examples often included in standard disease ecology or epidemiology courses—for example, myxomatosis in nonnative rabbits of Australia, and mutation rates in RNA versus DNA viruses.”

   “Melzer and Luke C. Pilling, a research fellow in genomic epidemiology at the University of Exeter Medical School, have also studied the genetics underlying longevity.”

2. (uncountable, usually)The epidemiological body of knowledge about a particular thing.