In 1979, the national commission for the protection of human subjects of biomedical and behavioral research developed ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects for research. the purpose of these guidelines was to:

The constant presence of diseases or infectious agents within a given geographic area or population group. it may also refer to the usual prevalence of a given disease with such area or group. it includes holoendemic and hyperendemic diseases. a holoendemic disease is one for which a high prevalent level of infection begins early in life and affects most of the child population, leading to a state of equilibrium such that the adult population shows evidence of the disease much less commonly than do children (malaria in many communities is a holoendemic disease). a hyperendemic disease is one that is constantly present at a high incidence and/or prevalence rate and affects all groups equally. so probably family history.

Apocrypha is the answer your looking for