A pandemic is an outbreak of disease that

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the definition of a pandemic. It is a vocabulary question about disease outbreaks.

Step 2: Explain the concept Disease outbreaks are classified by how far they spread:

• Endemic: a disease that is constantly present in a particular region or population (e.g., malaria in many parts of Nigeria).
• Epidemic: a sudden outbreak that affects many people in a community or region at the same time (e.g., Lassa fever or cholera outbreaks in some states).
• Pandemic: an epidemic that spreads across several countries or continents, affecting a very large number of people worldwide (e.g., COVID-19, the 1918 influenza).
• Sporadic: a disease that occurs occasionally, with scattered cases.

The prefix "pan-" means "all", which is a clue that a pandemic affects almost everyone, everywhere.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Is confined to a town: This describes a localized outbreak, not a pandemic. ❌
• B. Is wide spread: A pandemic spreads across countries and continents, so this fits. ✅
• C. Will not spread: An outbreak that does not spread is not an outbreak at all. ❌
• D. Has limited spread: This is the opposite of a pandemic. ❌

Step 4: Answer The correct option is B.

Exam tip: Remember the ladder of spread: Sporadic → Endemic → Epidemic → Pandemic. Link "pan" with "all" (like Pan-African) so you recall that a pandemic is widespread.