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index case

[ in-deks keys ]

noun

, Pathology.
  1. the first documented instance of a disease or other medical condition in a population, especially the first infection in an epidemic.
  2. (loosely) index patient.

index case

noun

  1. med the first case of a disease, or the primary case referred to in a report

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Word History and Origins

Origin of index case1

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

Investigators have also found that in cases of mass hysteria, one child is often an “index case” that triggers waves of anxiety.

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