Etiology

Definition

The study of the causes, origins, or reasons behind a disease, disorder, or pathological condition; also, the specific cause or set of causes themselves. In entomology and medical/veterinary contexts, etiology addresses the agents (pathogens, parasites, toxins) and mechanisms that produce disease in insects, arachnids, or the animals they affect.

Etymology

From Greek αἰτιολογία (aitiología), 'giving a reason for'

Example

The etiology of colony collapse disorder in honey bees involves multiple interacting stressors including the microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae, RNA viruses such as deformed wing virus, and neonicotinoid insecticide exposure.

Synonyms

• aetiology
• causation

Related Terms

• Pathogenesis
• Epidemiology
• Vector
• parasitology
• Pathogen
• Virulence
• host-parasite interaction

Usage Notes

Preferred spelling in American English is 'etiology'; British English uses 'aetiology'. Specialists distinguish etiology (what causes disease) from pathogenesis (how disease develops). In arthropod disease ecology, etiological investigations often must account for co-infections and environmental cofactors that complicate single-agent explanations.