Well fuck me professor!

Sorry you can't understand irony. Are you sure it isn't Hartford rather than Hertford? In any case, infection is not a prerequisite. Obesity isn't an infection unless you catch pork pies by tongue kissing a big lass. But it is reaching epidemic proportions, (HPA, touché). Burning your arse on the lightbulb isn't either but you can catch it from obesity in the same way.

Yes, you can read the word epidemic, but because we have a pedantic mischief making fool on this thread, I insist that the word is taken in context rather than in the emotive sense. HIV is certainly not a widespread occurrence in a single community at a particular time when relating to The UK at this time.

In public health terms, the word is used in the noun sense. In the media, it is an an adjective.

The adjective is more emotive hence the worm found it a scare word to use.

I note you find his words unhelpful. The legislation on inciting hatred and the Equalities Act both have words similar to unhelpful, (or Jack's unfortunate "old fashioned") but they tend to have other ways to describe those who spread malicious distorted and plain untrue information to justify taking action against sections of the community for reasons of bigotry.

I'd tell you what they are, but I like to see my posts posted.