...Epidemiology of Chickenpox Karissa N. Martinez Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V 05/16/2014 Epidemiology of Chickenpox This essay was written to explain the epidemiology of chickenpox and allow the reader to develop a better understanding of the disease. The author intended for the reader to become informed about the causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment and mortality and morbidity rates. Also, the reader will become familiar with the determinants of health and contributing factors to develop varicella, the relation of the epidemiologic triangle, the role of the community health nurse, as well as identify a national organization that reduces the impact of the disease on the community. Chickenpox also known as varicella is a highly infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. Varicella zoster can cause two illnesses, the first is chickenpox and the second illness is herpes zoster also known as shingles. Transmission of this highly infectious disease is spread through droplet exposure and contact with fluid from blister like vesicles. Examples of exposure through droplets are sneezing, coughing and oral secretions inhaled causing infection to the new host. Chickenpox is easily spread two to three days before the rash appears and is contagious until all the vesicles are scabbed over (WebMD, 2013). Symptoms tend to develop fourteen to sixteen days after exposure; around day ten after the first symptom is when the blisters crust...
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...Epidemiology of Chickenpox Erica N. Huckaby Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V February 28, 2016 Epidemiology of Chickenpox Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health related states or events in specified populations and the application of this study to control health problems (Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary, 2012). Epidemiology can be applied to any disease. It has helped to develop the methodology used in research and public health. For the purpose of this paper, we will explore the childhood illness chickenpox, the factors that contribute to it’s development, the epidemiological triangle, and the role of the community health nurse as related to reporting and follow-up of cases. Description of Chickenpox Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious viral illness caused by the herpes virus, HHV3.4 or varicella zoster virus (Lowth, 2013). Chickenpox is mainly considered a childhood illness but can affect anyone at any age. Symptoms In children the illness generally begins with fever and malaise followed by development of papules on the skin. The day following the first fever a rash often appears on the face and scalp. Within the next 24 hours more papules appear as the first ones turn into vesicles. The rash generally will spread to the trunk, abdomen and limbs. Vesicles can be so few that they go unnoticed and leave the virus undiagnosed or they can cover the entire body including the mucous membranes. The course...
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...The Epidemiology of Chickenpox The Epidemiology of Chickenpox Epidemiology can be defined as the study of health patterns and causes within a given population. The nursing field that works with these populations to identify causes and preventative measures is known as public health nursing or community nursing. These nurses seek to identify specific data that help a targeted population deal with the incidence and prevalence of certain conditions (Mauer, Smith, F, 2013). Just like any other disease, chickenpox has its own unique epidemiology, which will be explained in further detail throughout this paper. The epidemiologic triangle is applied to chickenpox as well. With the triad, an agent brings the disease, in this case chickenpox, to a susceptible host. These two factors, the host and agent, are brought together in a environment, the third factor, that is able to support the transmission of chickenpox (CDC, 2012). The virus that causes chickenpox is known as the varicella-zoster virus. This virus also is the cause of shingles. While symptoms may be mild and cause a general discomfort in children, the effects are more severe outside of childhood. Symptoms include a generalized fatigue, fever and a rash that is accompanied by pruritus. The fever may be present for a few day and range in temperature from 100.7 to 102.2. The lesions that accompany this disease, and which are its trademark, can be found in varying developmental stages over the patient’s...
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...Chicken Pox - Epidemiology Paper By Brett Birkeland Grand Canyon University NRS-427V July 29, 2015 Chicken Pox - Epidemiology Paper In this paper, the nurse author will discuss the communicable disease called Varicella, also known as chicken pox. The nurse author will discuss the causes, symptoms, and mode of transmission, complications, and treatment, as well as mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence of the disease. The determinants of health will be described, and the factors that add to the progression of the disease. The epidemiologic triangle, as it relates to Varicella, will be examined, including host factors, absence or presence of agent factors, along with environmental influences. The role of the community health nurse will be discussed as related to case finding, data collecting, reporting, data analysis, and follow-up. Lastly, a national agency or organization will be revealed that addresses chicken pox, and how it contributes to resolving or reducing the impact of the disease on the public. The infectious disease of varicella, or chicken pox, is very contagious. A virus named varicella-zoster causes it. Furthermore, chickenpox can also be spread from those who have shingles. Since the same virus causes shingles, caution should be taken since an individual with shingles can infect those who have never had chickenpox, or those who have not been vaccinated against the disease. People most at risk to contract the disease are those who...
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...Chickenpox along the Way By Vonsha Farnum Kaplan University Professor Danial Gilmore HS311-01: Epidemiology and Biostatistics I Chickenpox along the Way Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus. Chickenpox being relatively a mild disease derived from chicken peas or the idea that the disease originated from chickens. Occurring in all parts of the world. Chickenpox was thought to be a form of smallpox until the late 19th century and was connected to shingles in 1888. The peak incidence is during months of March through May. Patients’ immune system does not completely clear out the virus from the body after being exposed. Chickenpox is spread from person to person. Airborne particles (sneezing and coughing), fluid from blisters, and droplets in exhaled air. Average incubation period from viral exposure to onset of symptoms is 12-14 days and symptoms can appear 10-21 days after exposed to the virus. Symptoms are rash that turns itchy, fluid filled blisters turn into scabs. Rash first on face, chest, and back. The rash then spreads to inside mouth, eyelids, and genital area. Chickenpox is rarely fatal however more severe to men than women or children. Infants, persons with weak immune systems, and pregnant women have a greater chance of contracting the virus. The also stand a greater chance of developing more serious complications that include skin infection, bone infections, joint infections, pneumonia, inflammation...
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...Epidemiology: Chickenpox The Varicella-Zoster virus causes a very infectious disease called Chickenpox. Chickenpox is usually acquired through the inhalation of airborne respiratory droplets from an infected host. Chickenpox is primarily acquired during childhood , with more than 90% of all reported cases occurring in children under the age of 10. A person with chickenpox can spread the virus without even showing any signs or symptoms. It is usually most easily transmitted two to three days before a rash appears and keeps that high transmission rate until the blisters have crusted over. The following paper provides a detailed description of Chickenpox and the determinants of health contributing to the development of the disease. The epidemiologic triangle is used to explain the relationships among an agent, a host and the environment. The paper also addresses the role of the community health nurse in Chickenpox management and discusses the role of one national organization in the fight against the spread of Chickenpox. Description of Chickenpox Chickenpox is an infection caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus. It is considered contagious and is characterized by a itchy rash and appears like blisters all over the body . It occurs most frequently in children between the ages of five and eight years old and is transmitted so easily that the majority of the population will catch the disease at some point in their childhood. Chickenpox can be transmitted by coming into contact...
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...Chickenpox Epidemiology Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V June 7, 2014 Chickenpox is disease caused by the virus varicella-zoster. It is most common in children under the age of fifteen but still possible for older children and adults to obtain. Chickenpox appears as an itchy red rash all over the body, the rash can turn into fluid filled blisters other symptoms include, fevers, headaches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. Chickenpox is very contagious and can be spread even when there are no symptoms. Varicella incubation period is fourteen to sixteen days from time of exposure but potentially could be ten to twenty-one days (CDC, 2013). The mode of transmission for varicella is direct contact of the blisters, or through the respiratory system. The earliest signs and symptoms is are first fever and then a red rash. In children the rash may be noticed first before the fever. The rash begins as macules, to papules, vesicles, pustules, and then crusts over. Once the rash becomes crusted over the chickenpox is no longer contagious. Chickenpox can be in different stages of the disease process while some may be crust over and be non contagious there may be other blisters that are still active and contagious. Chickenpox can also be spread from an individual who has shingles. Complications of chickenpox are bacterial skin infections in children and adults pneumonia (these are the most common they may occur vice versa) (CDC, 2013). According to the Center for Disease and Control...
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...Communicable Disease: Chickenpox Grand Canyon University: NRS 427v December 10, 2014 Communicable Disease: Chickenpox The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) defines a communicable disease as “an illness caused by an infectious agent or its toxins that occurs through the direct or indirect transmission of the infectious agent or its products from an infected individual or via an animal, vector or the inanimate environment to a susceptible animal or human host.” There are numerous communicable diseases being studied, treated, prevented, and diagnosed around the world. For the purpose of this paper, one communicable disease in particular will be examined, chickenpox. This paper will address chickenpox as a communicable disease, determinants of health leading to chickenpox, how chickenpox relates to the epidemiologic triangle, the role of the community nurse in their treatment and prevention of chickenpox, and organizations involved on the national level. Epidemiology Chickenpox is a reaction to a virus by the name of varicella-zoster virus. The varicella-zoster virus is also known to cause a reaction called shingles later in the adult life. Chickenpox causes patients to have an itchy blister-like rash. Other symptoms that are a fever, sleepiness, decrease in appetite, and headache (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). These symptoms can develop a day or two before the rash (CDC, 2012). Chickenpox can spread easily from an infected...
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...Chickenpox Pamela Nauerth Grand Canyon University April 20, 2014 Chickenpox Varicella infection, commonly known as Chickenpox, is a member of the herpes virus group. Varicella has the capacity to stay latent in the human source. It stays in the sensory nerve ganglia and the recurrent infection is called Herpes Zoster or Shingles. This essay gives the description, causes, symptoms, mode of transmission and the treatment of varicella. It describes the mortality, morbidity, incidence and prevalence of the disease. It explains the determinants of health and how they contribute to the development of varicella. This essay discusses the epidemiologic triangle and how it relates to chickenpox. It explains the role of the community health nurse regarding their case findings, reporting, data collecting, data analysis and the follow-up related to chickenpox. It identifies on great national agency that addresses the virus and describes contributes to resolving and reducing the impact of the disease. Varicella was confused with smallpox until the late eighteenth century. Rudolf Steiner was scientist who discovered that varicella virus was caused by an infectious agent in 1875. Steiner removed fluid from the blisters of chickenpox and put it on the skin of volunteers that were healthy. It resulted in the volunteers to contract the virus (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). The symptoms of the virus develop about 15 days after being exposed to an...
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...Benchmark Assignment: Epidemiology Chickenpox Class: NRS-427V Concepts in Community and Public Health May 11, 2015 (O500) Name: Gulshan Kaur Date: May 25, 2015 What is epidemiology? Epidemiology is the study of a disease that is in a large population. There are many diseases that exist today and existed in the past that health professionals have interfered with and had these diseases come to a halt. Epidemiology isn't fully about the study of the disease itself, but it mostly comes in relation with the processes of the disease. Also not only is it about processes but it also about the cure and the curing of patients of the disease. People that inherent the epidemiological approach, they study the frequency of occurrence of the disease in the population. The epidemiologist has a belief that studying the interactions of the disease it will be possible to change and manipulate some of the determinants involved and reduce the amount of times the disease occurs in the population. One the diseases that provide epidemiologists the opportunity to study the disease and provide intervention is chicken pox. Also known as varicella, chicken pox is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus. The disease leaves patients with a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which scab over. This disease usually starts at the face and then quickly develops to the chest and back and then spreads to the rest of...
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...EPIDEMIOLOGY Paper Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V Abstract This paper will provide an overview of the Chickenpox disease process and the effects it has on the population. The paper continues to review how the epidemiological triangle is used and will include the host factors, agent factors (presence or absence), and environmental factors. The writer will try to review the determinants of health and explain how those factors contribute to the development of this disease, and also will see the roles and responsibilities of the community health nurse. In the end the paper discusses the associations, organizations, and national agency that addresses the chicken pox and contributes to resolving or reducing the impact of chickenpox disease. Chickenpox It is studied that 95 % of Americans get chickenpox by adulthood. Chickenpox is highly contagious. According to CDC 4 million people are infected by chickenpox every year. About 120,624 people in the USA were infected in 1995; it decreased to a tremendous 46,016 cases in 1999 in USA [Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 1999] Earlier before the chickenpox vaccine was discovered,each year about 11,000 people needed hospitalization for chickenpox in the U.S, and about 100 to 150 people died each year of chickenpox. With the vaccine, cases of chickenpox have dropped by about 90%. Cause Chickenpox is a transmittable illness induced by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Babies, adults and individual...
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...Epidemiology: Chickenpox Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V August 10, 2014 Epidemiology: Chickenpox (Varicella) Communicable Disease Overview: Chickenpox Chickenpox also known as varicella is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It causes a blister-like rash, itching, tiredness, and fever. Chickenpox can have serious consequences, especially in babies, adults, and immunocompromised persons. The disease spreads easily from infected people to others who have never received the chickenpox vaccine or had chickenpox. Chickenpox spreads in the air through coughing or sneezing through the respiratory tract. The virus particles that come from chickenpox blisters are highly contagious. If a person touches or breaths in the virus particles it will become infected ("Chickenpox (varicella)," 2011). The first symptoms usually develop 14 – 16 days after the person is exposed to the infection. The infected person will have fever of 38C – 39.4C, feeling tired, decreased appetite, headache, cough and sore throat. Adults and teens can experience severe symptoms while in children’s symptoms are mild. The itchy rash develops 1- 2 days after the first symptoms. The upper body is mostly affected and can spread to the face, arms and legs. The varicella is most contagious from 2-3 days before the rash develops until the blisters have dried and formed crust. The most serious complication is skin infection for children under age 5. When...
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...be transmitted via contact from person to person, or caused by bites from insects or animals (Mayo Clinic, 2013). Signs and symptoms may vary but very often include fever and chills (Mayo Clinic, 2013). The communicable disease chosen for this paper is chickenpox or varicella. Varicella is an infection caused by a virus called varicella zoster virus or VZV (CDC, 2012). The mentioned infection also is well known by herpes zoster and dates to the ancient civilizations; it was reported in 1888 that a relation between herpes zoster and chickenpox was suggested (PubMed, 2000). In 1954, Thomas Weller isolated the VZV virus from the fluids contained in the vesicles of both chickenpox and herpes zoster lesions in cell culture (CDC, 2012). In the 1970 a varicella vaccine was developed in Japan (CDC, 2012). The vaccine was licensed to use in the United States of America in 1995, and the vaccine that helps reduce the risk of herpes zoster was licensed in 2006 (CDC, 2012). VZV is a DNA virus and one of the herpes virus group, VZV persists in the body after the first infection, that results of chickenpox, while herpes zoster is the result of recurrent infection (CDC, 2012). What are the signs of varicella and herpes zoster? Chickenpox infection in most cases lasts about five to ten days; rash is the main characteristic of the disease, other symptoms may be noticed one to two days prior to the appearance of the rash, such as fever, headache, loss of appetite, and general...
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...reported having a low-grade fever for the past 2 days, but there were no other signs of infection. The patient complained of intense sharp, stabbing pain and mild itching. She stated that she tried applying a topical anti-itch cooling gel to the rash with no relief for the pain or the pruritis. She denied any exposure to harsh or irritating substances or allergens, such as poison ivy or poison oak. Patient denies prior hospitalizations, surgeries, or accidents. The patient does have a history of exercise induced asthma. During the exam the patient stated that she had had chickenpox when she was a child. Herpes zoster (HZ) or shingles, is an acute inflammatory eruption of incredibly painful vesicles that occur along a band-like unilateral pattern along the course of the peripheral nerves or dermatomes, and does not cross the midline of the body. Shingles results when the herpes varicella-zoster virus or chickenpox reactivates, for unknown reasons, after lying dormant in the dorsal root ganglia. Tingling, itching, and pain along the affected dermatome usually proceeds the eruption of vesicular lesions by 2 or 3 days. After several days, the vesicles evolve through stages of postulation, crusting, and then develop a scab. The duration of shingles is usually 10...
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...Communicable disease is defined as “an infectious disease transmissible (as from person to person) by direct contact with an affected individual or the individual’s discharges or by indirect means (as by a vector) (Merriam-Webster, 2015).” Chickenpox is considered a common childhood illness and is usually seen in children that are younger than 10 years of age. “Varicella is an acute infectious disease caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV). The recurrent infection (herpes zoster, also known as shingles) has been recognized since ancient times (CDC, 2015).” Chickenpox, varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a DNA type of the herpes virus that is a highly contagious disease. The VZV is spread through direct contact of the virus by coughing or sneezing causing it to be airborne and by direct contact with saliva, mucus and blisters from someone who is currently infected. The blisters that have dried or crusted over do not transmit the disease. Once VZV enters the body by way of the respiratory tract and conjunctiva it replicates and is then transmitted by way of the lymph node. Shingles are a latent form of chickenpox and is generally seen is older adults, and have a similar appearance as VZV that are highly infectious to a person that has not been immunized or previously infected by VZV. Symptoms of VZV appear between 10 to 21 days after exposure. These symptoms are sudden onset of a fever, tiredness; they have no desire to eat that is loss of appetite and a...
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