--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Left to their own devices, epidemic…" description: "\"Left to their own devices, epidemic diseases tend to follow the same basic process: A virus or bacteria infects a host, who typically becomes sick and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-huffman-23573_along_left-to-their-own-devices-epidemic-disea_599323.jpg" --- # Left to their own devices, epidemic diseases tend to… ![“Left to their own devices, epidemic diseases tend to follow the same basic process: A virus or bacteria infects a host, who typically becomes sick and in many cases dies. Along the way, the host infects others.” quote by Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-huffman-23573_along_left-to-their-own-devices-epidemic-disea_599323.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-huffman-23573_along_left-to-their-own-devices-epidemic-disea_599323.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/alan-huffman-23573_along_left-to-their-own-devices-epidemic-disea_599323.jpg) > “Left to their own devices, epidemic diseases tend to follow the same basic process: A virus or bacteria infects a host, who typically becomes sick and in many cases dies. Along the way, the host infects others.” [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes the typical progression of an epidemic: pathogen infects a host, causing illness and often death, then spreads to others. **In simple terms:** Epidemics spread from infected hosts to many people. Key Takeaway Early detection and containment are crucial. Themes public health epidemiology infection control Mood urgent analytical Type educational informative When to use this quote - hospital settings - community outbreaks - travel-related spread Key Concepts transmission dynamics host-pathogen interaction Questions to Reflect On - What measures can break the transmission chain? - How does immunity affect epidemic patterns? A Different Perspective Does not address variations in pathogen behavior or immunity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bacteria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bacteria/) [Epidemic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemic/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) ## Related quotes > [Malaria was one of the epidemic diseases with the most comprehensive records in traditional Chinese medical literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tu-youyou/malaria-was-one-of-the-epidemic-diseases-with-the-most-comprehensive/) [Tu Youyou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tu-youyou/) > [“The primary reason diseases tend to run in families may be that diets tend to run in families. For”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greger/the-primary-reason-diseases-tend-to-run-in-families-may-be-that-diets/) [Michael Greger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-greger/) > [When the AIDS epidemic broke, because I happened to be a science nerd and knew a lot about viruses and a lot about that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-fairchild/when-the-aids-epidemic-broke-because-i-happened-to-be-a-science-nerd/) [Morgan Fairchild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-fairchild/) > [Without an adequate response, an epidemic can develop into a pandemic, which generally means it has spread to more than one continent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/without-an-adequate-response-an-epidemic-can-develop-into-a-pandemic/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Without effective human intervention, epidemics and pandemics typically end only when the virus or bacteria has infected every available host and all have either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/without-effective-human-intervention-epidemics-and-pandemics/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [“An epidemic worse than any plague that humankind has ever seen has been raging for centuries. It is the “don’t want” epidemic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/an-epidemic-worse-than-any-plague-that-humankind-has-ever-seen-has/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [We are not for disarming people. When you have an epidemic it's a public health issue, a safety issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-brady/we-are-not-for-disarming-people-when-you-have-an-epidemic-it-s-a/) [Sarah Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-brady/) > [Now they're calling taking drugs an epidemic - that's cos white folks are doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pryor/now-they-re-calling-taking-drugs-an-epidemic-that-s-cos-white-folks/) [Richard Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pryor/) > [ We're all going to go crazy, living this epidemic \[AIDS\] every minute, while the rest of the world goes on out there, all around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/we-re-all-going-to-go-crazy-living-this-epidemic-aids-every-minute/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [I started to write about science and medicine at the 'Washington Post,' in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/i-started-to-write-about-science-and-medicine-at-the-washington-post/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [Violence in our society has reached epidemic proportions. ... Violence in the media for entertainment purposes has been established as a major contributing factor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-prothrow-stith/violence-in-our-society-has-reached-epidemic-proportions-violence-in/) Deborah Prothrow-Stith > [War is the most devastating endemic and epidemic disease the human race has to endure, and yet too little has been done to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/war-is-the-most-devastating-endemic-and-epidemic-disease-the-human/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The infant mortality rates are insanely high. The obesity epidemic is on the rise. It is all related.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-williams-paisley/the-infant-mortality-rates-are-insanely-high-the-obesity-epidemic-is/) [Kimberly Williams-Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-williams-paisley/) > [Although it is still important to develop an HIV vaccine, we have significant tools already at our disposal that can make a major impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-it-is-still-important-to-develop-an-hiv-vaccine-we-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth.” —The Army Surgeon General, 1918”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematical-rate-of-acceleration/) [Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) ## More by Alan Huffman > [My own experience with trains dates to long-ago childhood trips with my family in Mississippi to see my grandmother off at the station in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/my-own-experience-with-trains-dates-to-long-ago-childhood-trips-with/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [“They were following me because I was ahead of them, which is no way to choose a leader. Following someone simply because they're out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/they-were-following-me-because-i-was-ahead-of-them-which-is-no-way-to/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [The ocean is the last frontier of human empirical knowledge; even the contours on that eighth-grader's globe are the product of a mix of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/the-ocean-is-the-last-frontier-of-human-empirical-knowledge-even-the/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [The slow pace of trains in the U.S. can be maddening, particularly during delays on rail sidings for an hour or more to enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/the-slow-pace-of-trains-in-the-u-s-can-be-maddening-particularly/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [When President Teddy Roosevelt posed for the cameras astride a massive steam shovel during construction of the Panama Canal in 1906, it was more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/when-president-teddy-roosevelt-posed-for-the-cameras-astride-a/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Without effective human intervention, epidemics and pandemics typically end only when the virus or bacteria has infected every available host and all have either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/without-effective-human-intervention-epidemics-and-pandemics/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Conflict photographers grapple with two worlds that are themselves often in conflict - the one where bombs fall and bullets fly, where adrenaline runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/conflict-photographers-grapple-with-two-worlds-that-are-themselves/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Life feels more vivid in a conflict zone. It is clear what matters, and who you can count on, for what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/life-feels-more-vivid-in-a-conflict-zone-it-is-clear-what-matters-and/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Long-distance train conversations are unlike the perfunctory exchanges one normally associates with strangers, or the truncated, cut-to-the-chase kind that sometimes take place between seatmates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/long-distance-train-conversations-are-unlike-the-perfunctory/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [“Campaign ads are often nothing more than political taffy. The ingredients- the facts gathered by researchers such as Alan and me- are mixed together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/campaign-ads-are-often-nothing-more-than-political-taffy-the/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Anyone who was alive during the outbreak of the bubonic plague in the 14th century experienced something terrifyingly close to the widespread death and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/anyone-who-was-alive-during-the-outbreak-of-the-bubonic-plague-in-the/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Architecture students are generally given theoretical projects, often located at distant locations, and told to come up with a design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/architecture-students-are-generally-given-theoretical-projects-often/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Like so much in Singapore, admission to the Marina Bay's casino is hierarchical: Free for anyone with an international passport, costly for locals, off-limits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/like-so-much-in-singapore-admission-to-the-marina-bay-s-casino-is/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Without an adequate response, an epidemic can develop into a pandemic, which generally means it has spread to more than one continent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/without-an-adequate-response-an-epidemic-can-develop-into-a-pandemic/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) > [Right up until the late 18th century, when the first weighted lines were used to probe the ocean depths, many people believed the seas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-huffman/right-up-until-the-late-18th-century-when-the-first-weighted-lines/) [Alan Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) [Explore all 25 Alan Huffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-huffman/) ## More Along quotes > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [Governments follow their people. 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It was good casting, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-west/it-would-have-been-an-interesting-run-if-we-hadn-t-gotten-along-it/) [Dominic West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-west/) > [Defense spending as a share of the economy dropped significantly during the early 1990s, and that was one of the things, along with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orszag/defense-spending-as-a-share-of-the-economy-dropped-significantly/) Peter Orszag > [Just remember: to be grateful and thank the people who are there and support you along the way is a great start to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-davis/just-remember-to-be-grateful-and-thank-the-people-who-are-there-and/) [Meryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-davis/) > [We feel that, with Sidney, we have a great opportunity over the next few years to put a great team on the ice. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-lemieux/we-feel-that-with-sidney-we-have-a-great-opportunity-over-the-next/) [Mario Lemieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-lemieux/) > [“Being along with the Nature your soul is stronger than all disasters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esat-durak/being-along-with-the-nature-your-soul-is-stronger-than-all-disasters/) Esat Durak > [When I was 16 I was fortunate enough to get Cosby and move to New York and shift my whole life. that had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-bonet/when-i-was-16-i-was-fortunate-enough-to-get-cosby-and-move-to-new/) [Lisa Bonet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-bonet/) > [For some actors, their star shines brightly and fizzles out. My star doesn't shine that brightly, but it buzzes along. Hopefully, that means it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-maxwell-martin/for-some-actors-their-star-shines-brightly-and-fizzles-out-my-star/) [Anna Maxwell Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-maxwell-martin/) > [I prefer to have one gigantic laugh preceded by several smaller laughs rather than a bunch of medium laughs all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/i-prefer-to-have-one-gigantic-laugh-preceded-by-several-smaller/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) Browse all 1,040 Along quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Left to their own devices, epidemic diseases tend to follow the same basic process: A virus or bacteria infects a host, who typically becomes sick and in many cases dies. 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