Answer :

Final answer:

An epidemic is likely to occur when a pathogen encounters a susceptible population with high density, disrupted immunity due to antigenic shifts, and favorable environmental conditions which can be exacerbated by factors like co-infections and global travel.

Explanation:

An epidemic is most likely to occur in a susceptible population when a pathogen arrives if the following conditions are met: an increase in environmental conditions favorable to the pathogen, a significant antigenic shift or drift allowing it to evade acquired immunity, high population density, and global travel that facilitates the spread of infection. Antigenic shift and drift are processes that enable pathogens like the influenza virus to bypass the host immune system. Moreover, for some pathogens, a large contiguous population is needed to maintain the disease, such as the measles virus which requires about 300,000 people. Co-infections and weakened immune systems due to other chronic diseases can also exacerbate the conditions leading to an epidemic. Overcrowding and changes in host-parasite relationships contribute to the spread of parasites and microbes, making the transmission of the disease more likely.

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