Epidemics often occur in the community. They happen in different ways but during disasters, there are greater chances of their occurrence. It requires following a reasonably systematic approach in order to manage them. It is necessary to follow an orderly sequence for effective management and control of an epidemic. However, the approach has to be disease specific and procedures may vary according to local circumstances about the disease, previous leveis of occurrence, and population at risk. It becomes essential to find the cause of the epidemic and plan to institute measures to control by attacking the source, interrupting transmission and protecting susceptible population. In this Unit, you would learn what constitutes an epidemic, types of epidemics, their causes and the safety measures required during epidemics.