epizootic

noun

1. An occurrence of a disease or disorder in a population of non-human animals at a frequency higher than that expected in a given time period.

   “At the same time as an epidemic of the flu broke out among the people, an epizootic of the swine flu broke out among their pigs.”

   “[…]but it can be asserted with confidence that Natal will for some years yet be free from the possibility of an invasion of the disease to the same degree as the epizootic of 1896 and 1897.”

2. A particular epizootic disease.

   “A surgeon in the town has also informed me, that a person requested him to prescribe for some lambs affected with the epizootic, and he gave them Epsom salts and opium, with, as he said, very good effect.”

3. (dialectal, humorous, in-plural, often)A disease or ailment (of humans).

   “Johnny's not doing so well today, I think he caught the epizootic.”

   “Last fall, when Dad had the Epizootic; no, I don't mean that, tho I did think he had em, but when the Chicargar hosses got the Epizootic, Dad got all fired mad caus that xpressman didn't cum round to move the rest of our traps.”

   “Never do I have colds — but I got the epizootics(?) and sneezed my head off — twenty three times yesterday.”

   “"My Laws, Minnie! She's got spots! I guess you've got the epizootics."”

   “Then along comes somebody else who says you've got epizootic and he can cure epizootic and he doesn't have to cut out the epi.”

adj

1. Like or having to do with an epizootic: a widespread outbreak of disease among nonhuman animals.

   “Epizootic plague occurred in the mice following introduction of rats from Europe.”

   “As much attention is being drawn to the subject of epizootic abortion in bovines, [...]”

   “These are known respectively as the hair lung worm and the thread lung worm. The former of these is probably the more widely diffused, but the latter is more epizootic in flocks than the former.”

   “1919 March 19, author not named, The Mud Larks, in Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, 2004 Gutenberg edition, I handed it back to him, explaining that he had come to the wrong shop--unless he were a horse, of course. If he were and could provide his own nosebag, head-stall and Army Form 1640, testifying that he was guiltless of mange, ophthalmia or epizootic lymphangitis, I would do what I could for him.”

   “The parasites important in Britain do, however, by themselves constitute a most serious source of loss to pig breeders — probably at least as serious as that caused by the various more spectacular but more epizootic bacterial diseases.”

2. (rare)Containing fossils.

   “Hence their primary division is into primeval and secondary or Epizootic. And the epizootic mountains are still farther distinguishable into original and derivative.”

3. Relating to epizoa; epizoic.