...Epidemiology of Influenza As we welcome the winter season every year, we also welcome the possibility of various communicable diseases that are prone to present during the winter season. Diseases such as pneumonia, measles, chickenpox, and influenza are some of the diseases that make their annual debut during the winter season. These diseases affect certain parts of the body in which compromise ones health in one way or the other. Influenza is a communicable infectious viral disease which has the potential to occur as a pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak. Each year the influenza vaccine is offered in order to prevent and/or lessen the effect of the disease. In this paper the communicable disease influenza and its effect of the body and environment will be discussed. Communicable diseases are diseases that can be spread from person to person. In order for communicable diseases to make an impact, transmission of the infection must be evident from person to person. When large populations are infected with a disease, whether it is communicable or non-communicable, and epidemiology comes into play. Smith and Maurer describe epidemiology as the study of communicable diseases affecting large groups of people or populations (2009). Prevention play a major role in regards to preventing and decreasing the transmission of communicable diseases. Communicable diseases have chains called the epidemiologic triangle. In order to interrupt transmission, the triangle must be broken at...
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...Epidemiology of Influenza Bethany Baird Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V September 19, 2014 Epidemiology of Influenza Influenza is an illness that is seen and addressed on a yearly basis. Each year, come fall, individuals line up a their local clinic or physician’s office to acquire the influenza vaccine in an attempt to ward off the seasonal virus known as the flu. “The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs (American Lung Association, n.d.).” There are 3 main strains of the seasonal influenza virus that break off into further subcategories. This virus can affect people of all ages and demographics. According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, the flu affects over 60 million people every year in the United States alone . While during “flu season” there are a number of illnesses that are prevalent, influenza has identifiable signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms associated with the flu are often very recognizable but also may vary in their severity. One of the most prominent symptoms is a sudden onset of fever and feverish chills accompanied by body and joint aches. This could be referred to as the “cardinal sign” of the flu (American Lung Association, n.d.). Other symptoms include cough, sore throat, headaches, and runny nose. These symptoms can be associated with the common cold, however, when coupled with fever and body aches, there is...
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...Epidemiology Paper Monica Okoro Nur/408 Epidemiology: Global and Public Health September 10, 2012 Diane Campbell, DNP - PHN, FNP - BC Epidemiology Paper Public health nursing allows nurses to encounter various vulnerable populations on a daily basis. In particular, the elderly make up a large portion of the population, and their vulnerability to the environment and other physical factors is a very important aspect of public health nursing. Epidemiology allows the public health nurse to study and assess vulnerable populations, including the elderly, and create interventions that maximize the health potential of all members of the public. This paper will explore the role of epidemiology and also discuss the definition and purpose of epidemiology, epidemiological methods, the epidemiological triangle and levels of prevention that is related with influenza in the elderly community. Definition and Description of Epidemiology Originally, epidemiology was a term that was used to describe the spread of infectious disease. Over the course of time, that definition has expanded considerably in order to accommodate the complexity of ever-changing populations, their environments, and increasing occurrences of disease. Epidemiology is a branch of public health that studies of the frequency, distribution, and determinants of disease in human populations. It studies the patterns of diseases in human populations and how to control health problems associated with disease...
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...Influenza in the Elderly Julia Ford, Debbie Garris, Lisa Harper, and Monica Jackson December 20, 2011 Mamie Williams Influenza in the Elderly The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 was responsible for the deaths of more than 50 million people worldwide and is known as a national disaster (CDC, 2011). Even with historical facts about influenza and how easily it is spread, some still refuse to receive the vaccination. Myths and misconceptions about the flu vaccine is the main reason that people refuse to take the flu vaccination. Some of the myths surrounding why people will not take the influenza vaccine include the flu shot can cause the flu, healthy people do not require the influenza vaccine, and the vaccination is a government experiment. Another myth is that working around sick people causes flu immunity. The elderly is one of many populations vulnerable to influenza. Epidemiology as it relates to influenza in the elderly is the topic of discussion for this paper. This paper will make use of the Epidemiological Triangle to explain the disease process of influenza, prevention of the disease, and evaluation of prevention. Definition and Description of Epidemiology Stanhope and Lancanster defines epidemiology as “the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to control of health problems” (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2008, p...
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...Epidemiology by definition is the study of the distribution and patterns of health-events, health- characteristics and their causes or influences in well-defined populations. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. Epidemiologists are involved in the design of studies, collection and statistical analysis of data, and interpretation and dissemination of results (including peer review and occasional systematic review).Major areas of epidemiological study include outbreak investigation, disease surveillance and biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects such as in clinical trials. Epidemiologists rely on a number of other scientific disciplines such as biology (to better understand disease processes), biostatistics (to make efficient use of the data and draw appropriate conclusions), and exposure assessment and social science disciplines (to better understand proximate and distal risk factors, and their measurement). I would like to discuss elderly patients as my vulnerable population. There is no set age at which a person maybe under the care of a geriatric physician. The physician aims to promote health by preventing disease and disabilities in geriatric adults. A gerontologist specializes in the aging process. Adult medicine differs from the geriatric patient because the focus is on the elderly...
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...Influenza Epidemic Valerie Capobianco, RN Grand Canyon University Concepts in Community and Public Health NRS-427V Mary Nicks MSN, RN August 14, 2014 Influenza Epidemic Studying the distribution and determinants of health-related events, including disease, and the relevance of the study to control the disease along with other health problems is known as epidemiology. (World Health Organization, 2014) This author would like to discuss one of those diseases, that being influenza. Influenza viruses do not discriminate and affect individuals worldwide. This paper will include how the determinants of health contributes to the development of influenza, elements of epidemiologic triangle relate to the transmission of influenza, the role of community health nurses in controlling and preventing the influenza pandemic, and the role played by World Health Organization (WHO) in the global prevention and control of the disease. The influenza virus, more commonly known as the flu, is a contagious mild to severe respiratory illness infecting the nose, throat, and lungs. There are many different types or strains of influenza such as Swine H3N2, Avian H5N1, influenza A H1N1. Just the slightest mutation on the virus’s surface protein can quickly change a strain. This fast acting mutation is one of the reasons influenza viruses infect high numbers of people worldwide, leading to morbidity and mortality burden in communities. (WHO, 2011, pg. 22) When an individual is infected...
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...Lecture 1 Here the goal is to familiarize you with the basic terminology of infectious disease epidemiology relevant for the spread of infectious diseases including the basic reproduction number (R0), herd immunity, index patient, endemic disease, epidemic disease, and pandemic. An important concept in infectious disease transmission is the so-called transmission chain. A transmission chain is a sequence of transmission events from the origin to the secondary case. In this figure, one can see a transmission tree of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) 2003 in Singapore where we can note the secondary cases generated by each infected case that was reported. We can see that only a few cases were able to generate most of the secondary transmission events. This is an HIV transmission network that clearly shows the structure of transmission events. We can see here that each infected HIV person generates from 1 to 27 secondary cases. We can also see that most of these infected cases generate only a few secondary cases while a few of them generate many secondary transmission events. A central quantity in infectious disease epidemiology is the so-called basic reproduction number, R0. This is defined as the average number of secondary cases generated by an infectious individual in a susceptible population. In this figure we can see that each infected person generates exactly two secondary cases for illustration purposes. Here R0=2 and the arrows denote the direction of...
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...Epidemiology paper Grand Canyon University 09/13/15 Influenza is a viral type of infection. Most people refer to it as the “flu”. Many also think of it as a stomach flu or cold. Actual influenza is much different. Influenza virus is not a virus that usually causes diarrhea or vomiting. The influenza virus can spread to other individuals up to 6 feet away. People spread droplets in their respiratory secretions through talking, coughing and sneezing. Influenza can also be spread by touching a surface with a droplet on it and then touching your nose or mouth. There are also several types of animals that can carry influenza virus. Influenza takes a few days for individuals to have signs and symptoms. Because of this influenza can be passed to other people before a person know that they are ill. Influenza can be an A or B virus. Each year there can be different types of strains of the virus that come in fall and winter time. Most average healthy people will get better from influenza without difficulties. There are a group of individuals who are more at risk for complications than others. Woman who are pregnant, the elderly, those with immunity problems and the young. When you visit your doctor, urgent care or Emergency Room they can order an influenza test that is just a quick nasal swab. The results can be obtained fairly quickly. In the ER where I work we keep a copy of all influenza A and B results. These are sent to the public health nurse. According to the CDC, “Mortality...
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...Influenza Keren G Zepeda March 16, 2015 HCS/245 Tynan Mara There has been many, different illnesses that have had a huge impact on our society, especially illnesses related to the respiratory system. There is bronchitis, tuberculosis and asthma, just to name a few. One illness in particular that has impacted our society lately has been influenza or better known as “the flu”. Influenza has affected our society, as well as our resources. We will explore more in depth this disease. What is influenza? As stated before, influenza is better known as “the flu”. Influenza is an infectious disease that affects the respiratory system, which include the nose, throat and lungs. According to Wikipedia, “this disease can be mild to severe, and may include various symptoms, such as high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headaches, coughing and exhaustion”. If this disease is left unattended, it may turn into a more serious complication, which in rare occasions may lead to death. According to the Centers for Disease Control, or better known as CDC, “this flu season has been severe for individuals over the age 65 years old, with very high hospitalization rates ”(2015). Influenza is categorized as a primary prevention source. It is categorized as a primary prevention source, because there is education on the illness and appropriate vaccinations in order to prevent it from developing. In a primary prevention source, the patient is also recommended to have...
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...similar to that seen with seasonal influenza, while comparable estimates of R0 for the 1918, 1957, and 1968 pandemics ranged from 1.4-2.0. The WHO, however, suggests that there may be a much higher secondary attack rate. ■ COMMENTARY 2. 3. 4. 5. Government Pandemic Influenza Site: http://www.PandemicFlu.gov/ U.S. Government Pandemic Influenza Site: http://www.PandemicFlu.gov/ World Health Organization http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html Human/Swine A/H1N1 Influenza Origins and Evolution (Wiki) http://tree.bio.ed.ac.uk/groups/influenza/ http://www.thelancet.com/H1N1-flu The recognition that the initial perception of a high mortality rate was apparently spurious has led to some relaxation of concern. This may, however, be premature. While we have completed the usual influenza season in the Northern Hemisphere, the season is just beginning in the southern latitudes. Furthermore, previous pandemics have come in waves, with the second or third wave sometimes being associated with more severe disease than the original portion of the epidemic. While this was not true of the 1968 pandemic, it was true in 1957-1959 and, especially, in 1918. In fact, concern has been raised about the possible recombination of S-OIV with avian influenza, with the potential for significantly enhance virulence in a virus with a high degree of human-to-human transmissibility. ■ References: 1. Newman AP, et al. Human case of swine influenza A (H1N1) triple reassortant virus infection...
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...6. Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases Chapter 8 Disease is not constant • Emerging Diseases – are recently “discovered” diseases, or diseases that have become increasingly important. • Some are old diseases just discovered – like Hepatitis C • Some are truly new like HIV • Many are taking advantage of some niche – like air conditioners in large buildings – Legionella pneumophila • Diseases moving to new parts of the world – West Nile Virus • Re-emerging Diseases – are diseases that became less important, but are again increasing in importance. • Tuberculosis is an old disease that is again rapidly increasing in some populations. 1 2 Health Science Microbiology David L. Beck, B.S., A.M., Ph.D. FYI Emerging Diseases - Examples FYI Re-emerging Diseases - Examples 3 4 Known Species The Tip of the Iceburg • How many species are there? • 1980 there was 1,792 described species • 1990 there was 3,393 species (173 new per year) • 2000 there was 6,386 species (299 new per year) • 2010 there was 12,926 species (654 new per year) • Oct 2011 there was 13,563 species (Yikes!!!) (Most of these we know nothing about other than their name.) WE KNOW VERY LITTLE 80% of bacteria are unculturable – what you do not know about can hurt you! 61% of the known 1415 species infectious (and counting) to man are from animals (zoonoses) • • • • 5 Want to know the current number of described species? See: http://www.bacterio.cict.fr/number.html Updated daily. 6 Normal...
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...Epidemiology of Influenza May 25, 2014 Epidemiology Public health nursing requires attention to trends and epidemics within local, regional and national health systems. Influenza, a fast spreading seasonal virus, attacks the respiratory system in susceptible people. This paper will attempt to explain the populations susceptible, the community health and public nurse role, ways in which transmission is prevented utilizing local and national disease control authorities. Pathophysiology of Influenza Influenza A, B, and H1N1 are also known as the flu to many. This virus a contagion that infects the respiratory tract in susceptible populations. This virus constantly mutates, requiring immunization that is developed based on previous season’s strain type. 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 direct means” (Merriam-webster, 2014). The influenza virus is transmitted through droplets, during talking, sneezing or coughing from up to 6ft away. However, it does linger on surfaces such as computer key boards, telephones, or objects (Flu.gov, 2014). This infection takes 1-4 for symptoms to begin after exposure. Healthy adults may be able to transmit the virus one day before symptoms appear (CDC, 2013). The influenza virus causes numerous complications including ear infections, bronchitis, sinus infections, and most commonly pneumonia....
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...Influenza Introduction Influenza is among the most prevalent infectious airborne viral diseases that affect the respiratory system. According to the World Health Organization (2016), the infection majorly affects the throat, nose, and the bronchi, and on rare occasions, it may affect the lungs. Also commonly known as the flu, influenza infection is characterized by sneezing, itchy and running nose as well as throat inflammation. The initial signs and symptoms include fever with temperatures higher that 100F, soreness in the back, myalgia, legs and arm muscles, sweats and chills, frontal or retro-orbital headaches, tachycardia, red, watery eyes, and fatigue. Sometimes, a dry and persistent cough, nasal congestion and discharge occur (Clark & Lynch, 2011). Causes and Transmission The Influenza viruses are transmitted in the form of droplets through the atmosphere whenever an infected individual speaks, coughs or even sneezes. A healthy person can either get infected through directly inhaling these contaminated droplets or obtain the viruses from contaminated objects like computer keyboards, mouses or even the phones, and move them to the respiratory pathways like the nose and mouth. According to Clark & Lynch (2011), the infected individuals become contagious a day before the appearance of the first symptoms and continue in this state up to 5 to 10 days after. Studies have revealed that young children and individuals with compromised immune systems remain in the contagious...
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...Influenza B viruses have similar viral structures, genome organization, and epidemiology as influenza A viruses. However, there are many important differences. Influenza B mainly infects humans, whilst influenza A infects many species of vertebrates. Additionally, influenza B viruses are usually less prevalent and less severe than influenza A viruses, and they exhibit lower rates of evolutionary change. Influenza B strains are separated into two distinct lineages, whereas influenza A strains continually evolve into new clusters. This article describes evolutionary and epidemiological forces that shape the genetic diversity of influenza B viruses. Information will be used to predict future impact of influenza B and how to control future outbreaks....
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...Epidemiology Paper Name: Course: Date: Epidemiology Paper Influenza or simply flu is one of the most devastating communicable diseases. This is because it is transmitted through the air we breathe. This simply means that being in the company of a mammal or bird that is infected is more than good enough reason for one to get infected (Naff, 2011). Influenza is caused by an influenza virus which can be of one of three types. Type A and B results to a high degree of infections. These two types are responsible for severe respiratory infections and in some cases death. Influenza virus type C on the other hand does not lead to severe respiratory infection and only causes minimal respiratory infections with little or no symptoms at all. The influenza virus is capable of modifying itself once in the body of the host. This occurs through mutation whereby vaccinations and treatment develop antibodies that go against the virus. Naff (2011) explains that this causes the virus to adjust for its survival and as a result develop into a new form that the antibodies do not see as harmful. The virus therefore has the capability of infecting a host at any time. However, it is possible for initial antibodies to recognize the mutated virus as a harmful component thereby limiting the degree of infection. In the epidemic involving the H1N1 virus in 2009, very few individuals had antibodies that could fight the virus. The flu has a number of symptoms which...
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