Afflicted by or afflicted with ??

[gychung]

Hi there,
Is there any difference between "afflicted by" and "afflicted with" ??
Is it interchangeable ??

Thanks and regards

 

[Raymott]

Hi there,
Is there any difference between "afflicted by" and "afflicted with" ??
Is it interchangeable ??

Thanks and regards

They mean the same. They might be used differently.
I'd use "by" for temporary things, and "with" for chronic conditions.
"He won't be in today. He's afflicted by the 'flu".
"She's been afflicted with arthritis for twenty years."

This is probably because "by" is used for the agent in a passive sentence (and 'flu is thought of as being more an active agent than arthritis is), while "with" has the connotation of something that belongs to or accompanies a person. That's my take on it.