1.
infectious disease; communicable disease
A disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites that can spread from person to person or through other means of transmission.
感染症が流行している。
An infectious disease is spreading.
新型の感染症に注意してください。
Please be careful of the new infectious disease.
政府は感染症の拡大を防ぐために対策を発表した。
The government announced measures to prevent the spread of the infectious disease.
USAGE:
A formal medical and public health term frequently used in news reports and official announcements. Became especially prominent in everyday Japanese during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 感染症の予防 (disease prevention)
- 感染症の拡大 (spread of disease)
- 感染症対策 (disease countermeasures)
- 感染症法 (Infectious Disease Control Law)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 伝染病: contagious disease (older term, still used)
- 疫病: epidemic, plague (literary or historical)