Disease starts to spread – cases are being ignored, everyone’s scared (7)
I believe the answer is:
scabies
'disease' is the definition.
(scabies is a kind of disease)
'starts to spread cases are being ignored everyone's scared' is the wordplay.
'starts to' suggests taking the first letters.
The initial letters of 'spread cases are being ignored everyones scared' is 'SCABIES'.
(Other definitions for scabies that I've seen before include "Contagious skin disease that causes itching" , "Skin disease - "The Itch"" , "Contagious skin infection" , "Contagious skin disease causing itching" , "rash complaint?" .)