What is the number of existing cases of a specific disease or condition in a population at a specific point in time?

• A. Incidence
• B. Prevalence
• C. Mortality
• D. Morbidity

Answer: (B)

Prevalence measures how many people currently have a disease at a given moment, showing how widespread the condition is in the population at that time. It answers “how many existing cases are there right now?” Incidence, on the other hand, counts new cases that develop over a period, which is a different concept focused on risk and new events. Mortality is the number of deaths, not the number of people living with the disease, and morbidity refers to the burden or impact of illness on health rather than the total existing cases. Since the question specifies the number of existing cases at a specific point in time, prevalence is the correct term.