Final answer:
The disease that has been known for hundreds of years and is increasing in occurrence is a re-emerging or emerging disease. Notably, emerging diseases are those appearing in human populations for the first time or that are rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range. The correct answer is C. Emerging
Step-by-step explanation:
An emerging disease is one that has appeared in a population for the first time, or that may have existed previously but is rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range. Such diseases can also be referred to as re-emerging if they were previously under control but have begun to reappear with greater prevalence. A significant number of emerging diseases are zoonotic, meaning they originate from animal populations and jump to humans.
Historical examples include diseases like Ebola, Zika, and SARS, which have all shown increased activity or spread in the recent past. In contrast, an endemic disease is one that is constantly present, usually at a low incidence, within a population. Malaria in tropical countries is an example of an endemic disease. Epidemiologists study these disease patterns and distributions to better understand and control their spread.