uncontrolled outbreak

[/ʌnkənˈtroʊld ˈaʊtbreɪk/]
nounpl: uncontrolled outbreaks
surto descontrolado
1. A sudden occurrence or eruption of something (disease, violence, fire, etc.) that spreads rapidly without effective containment measures
The uncontrolled outbreak of the virus forced the government to implement emergency lockdown measures.
O surto descontrolado do vírus forçou o governo a implementar medidas de isolamento emergencial.
2. A rapid, unmanaged proliferation of a contagious disease affecting multiple individuals simultaneously
An uncontrolled outbreak of measles spread through the school despite vaccination efforts.
Um surto descontrolado de sarampo se espalhou pela escola apesar dos esforços de vacinação.
This term gained significant prominence in both American and Brazilian English-Portuguese discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Brazil, it is frequently used by health officials (Ministério da Saúde) and news media when describing disease spread. The phrase reflects modern public health vocabulary and is essential for understanding news reports, government announcements, and medical communications in both countries.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
uncontained outbreakunchecked outbreakrampant outbreakspreading outbreakepidemicpandemic
Antonyms / Antônimos
controlled outbreakcontained outbreakmanaged outbreakisolated case

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
surto descontrolado
Most commonly used in medical and public health contexts
Rio de Janeiro
surto desenfreado
Alternative colloquial usage emphasizing unrestrained spread
São Paulo
surto fora de controle
Literal translation, commonly used in news media
Portugal
surto descontrolado / foco incontrolado
Both terms used; 'foco' more common in European Portuguese for disease outbreaks

Related Words

epidemicpandemiccontagioncontainmentquarantinetransmission

Related Idioms & Phrases

things got out of hand
the situation spiraled out of control
it spread like wildfire
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →