...Orthomyxoviridae are a family of RNA viruses that includes the influenza viruses. There are three types of the influenza virus Orthomyxoviridae; A, B and C. The A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics throughout the world, while the C virus only causes mild illnesses and is not thought to cause epidemics. (Center of Desease Control and Prevention, 2014) Source: euroclinix Figure1: Anatomy of a Flu...
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...Waterborne Desease Report Kan Ding 3027206 Giardiasis & Amebiasis Introduction Despite of the continuous advances in public health measures and biomedical science we have in this and the past century, the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases remain a big threat to human beings.[1] Due to the change of global environment, ecology and socio-economic, these diseases occur with trend of increasing incidence and geographical expansion, along with other existing infectious diseases, performing among the leading cause of death worldwide.[2] Human activities may show great influence on the trend of the growing of these diseases, some studies suggest, including agriculture practices and the activities having impacts on climate change.[3]...
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...universal immunization and antibiotics have reduced the prevalence of infectious disease. However, antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms and diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease ,avian influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS) have emerged. In the developing world successes such as the eradication of smallpox have been balanced or outweighed by the new plagues. Infectious diseases cause nearly 25% of all human deaths. Two billion people one-third of the world’s population are infected with tuberculosis (TB),500 million people catch malaria every year, and 200 million are infected with schistosomiasis. 39.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 4.3 million new HIV infections in 2006 (65% in sub-Saharan Africa). The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG) hope to be achieved by 2015. These are: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education, gender equality and empowerment of women, reduction in child mortality,improvement in maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS,malaria and other diseases, ensuring environment sustainability and developing global partnership for development. DEFINITION INFECTION An infection is the entry and multiplication of an infections agent in the tissue of host. lf the infectious agent fails to cause injury to cells or tissue, then infection is asymptomatic. INFECTIOUS DISEASE An infectious disease is any change from a state of health in a part or all...
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...Hepatitis B – Hepatitis B (HBV) Is a blood borne illness that affects the liver and hominoidea. Transmissions for getting HBV can be working in a health care clinic, tattooing, and transfusions, along with kissing, hugging, holding hands, and coughing. Transmission is spread through infectious blood, or bodily fluids such as semen or vaginal fluids. There are 350 million carriers or more of Hepatitis B. There is vaccination for Hepatitis B. Hepatitis C – Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood borne illness, which affects the liver. You can develop cirrhosis from Hepatitis C resulting in a liver transfer. Transmissions of HCV include drug injection, sexual activities, body piercings or tattoos, along with toothbrushes or razors and etc. There is no current vaccine for Hepatitis C. Human immunodeficiency Virus – Human immunodeficiency Virus Blood Borne Illness or (HIV) is an illness that leads to (AIDS), a condition in humans that lead to the destruction of the immune system. The majority of the (AIDS) virus is spreaded through unprotected sex, open wounds or blood that gets somehow into your body, mother to child during pregnancy through the uterus, and drug injection. Meningitis – Meningitis is a airborne bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Mainly in babies and is caused by bacteria, an infection of some type, along with cancer that spreads to the meninges or spinal cord of the body. Influenza/ Pneumonia – Is air born condition where the lung is...
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...is a national public health federal agency under Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It is division of Department of Health and Human Services responsible for managing national programs for control and prevention of communicable diseases and Vector born pathogen. CDC also is in charge of implementing strategies and plans to deal with environmental health problems. It also controls quarantine activities and performs epidemiological research, and it provides consultation on an international basis for the control of preventable diseases. The subdivisions of the agency include: * The center for chronic disease prevention and health promotion * Environmental health * Health statistics * Infectious diseases * Injury prevention and control * Immunizations * Occupational safety and health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC) was first created on July 1946 known as Communicable Disease Center. Originally the main mission is to control malaria and other vector-borne diseases during World War II. In the beginning CDC occupied one floor of small building in Atlanta, GA with a budget of only $10 million and fewer than 400 employees. As the organization became established deep in the South, once known as the heart of the malaria zone, Dr. Joseph Mountin the CDC Founder continued to fight for public health issues and to push to extend CDC responsibilities to other communicable...
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...Communicable Diseases - Dermatophytes HCS 457 February 11, 2013 University of Phoenix Communicable Diseases - Dermatophytes Communicable diseases remain a frequent cause of illness in human population due to many reasons. Communicable diseases are diseases that can be passed from one person to another just by everyday communication. Communicable diseases are the easiest to spread amongst our population. Dermatophytes are a type of communicable disease that could be spread to anyone. Dematophytes are fungi that cause skin, hair, and nail infections and are often known as ringworms. One example of a very common dermatophyte infection is athlete's foot, which is also called tinea pedis. Another common dermatophyte infection affecting the groin area is jock itch, also known as tinea cruris. There are many different species of dermatophytes that can cause infection in humans. Two of the most common types are Trichophyton tonsurans, and Trichophyton rubrum and these are usually transmitted from person to person. Another common dermatophyte is Microsporum canis, and that is transmitted from animals such as cats and dogs to humans. Dermatophytes like to live on moist areas of the skin, like the places where there are skinfolds. They can also live on household items, including clothes, towels, and bed sheets and so on. Symptoms and Prevention Dermatophyte infections are usually spread through direct contact with an infected person or animal. Clothing, bedding and...
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...The 1967 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak was a major outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom. The only centre of the disease, in contrast to the three concentrated areas in the 2001 crisis, was on the Wales border with Shropshire.[1] France and other EU countries were also affected by the crisis.[ Background There were three official inquires into the foot-and-mouth epidemics and the Government’s response in the fifty years prior to the 1967 outbreak. These occurred in 1922, 1923-1924, and 1953.[2] In the 1950s, there was a substantial outbreak across the United Kingdom. Of the thirteen years leading up to the 1967 outbreak, there were only two years that there was no reported outbreak.[2] During this period, foot-and-mouth was prevalent across Europe. Outbreak In October 1967, a farmer from Bryn Farm in the county of Shropshire, concerned by the health of one of their sows, sought veterinary advice and the animal was found to have contracted foot-and-mouth disease. Bryn Farm was immediately put into quarantine and general animal movement was banned. The virus rapidly spread to the nearby Ellis Farm. Two cows from the latter had already been sent to market, leaving the farmers in a vulnerable position.[3] In the following months, over 2,364 outbreaks were detected in the United Kingdom.[4] Ninety-four percent of the cases occurred in North-West Midlands and North Wales.[2] Reports The Minister for Agriculture, Frederick Peart, appointed a committee...
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...Is Point of Care Testing (POCT) a Real Opportunity? I feel that POCT will become an important means for delivering rapid laboratory testing to the patient. Overall, the physicians and clinics we interviewed were interested in the value that POCT offered to their patients, including rapid results and a smaller sample size. Most clinics are already utilizing CLIA-waived (simple testing), such as the rapid flu and strep tests. I feel that the demand for faster test results will help the POCT market continue to grow in the future. POCT helps physicians to make quicker diagnoses and provide the right treatment to the patient early, thus helping to reduce the costs of healthcare. I feel that POCT could make a huge impact in the infectious disease sector. Clinicians often cannot distinguish between bacterial, parasitic, viral, fungal, or noninfectious causes. An accurate diagnostic test that could help identifies the causative agent of a disease would be a huge benefit; POCT could offer this type of test. I feel the potential applications for POCT are endless. However, in order for POCT to be successful, I feel that the issues of accuracy, reimbursement and costs will need to be addressed. Many physicians feel that the rapid tests are not as reliable as the conventional laboratory testing. In order, for future companies to be successful in the POCT market, they will have to be that their tests are reliable and accurate. Also, another issue that some physicians have...
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...The Effects of Zoonotic Diseases Case Study #13 April 17, 2011 Zoonosis refers to an infectious disease in animals that can be transmitted to people. An animal serves as the natural reservoir for such an infectious agent, ("MedTerms," 2001). Many zoonoses, which is simply the plural meaning of zoonosis, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites can be transmitted to humans by various routes. Some of these routes consist of animal bites, vectors (i.e., insects), and animal-to-human contact (i.e., inhalation of respiratory droplets or skin-to-skin contact), (Bauman 613-14) & ("Infectious Diseases," 2009). Most emerging infections that have occurred world wide are said to be a zoonotic disease. Many of these diseases are fatal or have the potential to be fatal if not treated quickly and properly identified. An example of a zoonosis case that has the potential to arise annually is listed below: Case Study#13 “You work in a small family practice in rural VA. A man in his early 50’s comes in with a complaint of intermittent fever (102-103°F) and headache for the past two weeks. The physician examines him and takes a history. The only clinical finding is a wound about the size of a quarter on his right thumb. Axillary lymph nodes are swollen and tender. The man says he cut himself while skinning a rabbit three days ago. On the basis of these observations the physician prescribes streptomycin and asks the man to call if his symptoms don’t...
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...Foodborne Illness – Hepatitis A 1. What is the infectious agent (pathogen) that causes this infectious disease? The U.S. Government requires that sewage be treated to eliminate pathogens. This includes bath water, toilet water, and storm run-off. These fluids may carry pathogens for many water borne disease, including giardiasis and hepatitis A. This involves collection and sedimentation of sewage waters, separating solid matter (sludge) from the liquid (effluent) portion of sewage. The effluent is chlorinated to kill pathogens before it can be released in to lakes or rivers. The sludge is burned or dumped. Some advanced methods of treatment us a secondary treatment following the primary treatment. This is done by transferring the fluid in to tanks filled with a population of microorganisms that decompose more than 90 percent of the organic wastes and eliminate pathogens by competition. It is then chlorinated before being released in to rivers or lakes. Many sewage treatment plants use additional chemicals that also eliminate pathogens. 2. How is the infectious agent transmitted through food or water? Hepatitis A is the only common vaccine preventable food borne disease in the United States (Fiore 2004). It is one of five human hepatitis viruses that primarily infect the human liver and cause illness. This may result in liver failure and death. It is transferred through food or water that is contaminated with fecal matter that has the HAV virus. Other potential...
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...Giardia Giardia is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal illness known as giardiasis. Giardia is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and makes it tolerant to chlorine disinfection. (A parasite is an organism that feeds off of another to survive.) The parasite lives in the intestines and is passed in feces (poop). Once outside the body, Giardia can sometimes survive for weeks or months. Giardia can be picked up from surfaces (such as bathroom handles, changing tables, diaper pails, or toys) that contain stool from an infected person or animal. Drinking water or using ice made from water sources where Giardia may live (for example, untreated or improperly treated water from lakes, streams, or wells) Swallowing water while swimming or playing in water where Giardia may live, especially in lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, and streams Eating uncooked food that contains Giardia organisms Having contact with someone who is ill with giardiasis Traveling to countries where giardiasis is common Giardia cannot be passed by coming in contact with blood. Giardiasis is a global disease. It infects nearly 2% of adults and 6% to 8% of children in developed countries worldwide. Nearly 33% of people in developing countries have had giardiasis. In the United States, Giardia infection is the most common intestinal parasitic disease affecting humans [1]. Giardia infection can cause a variety of intestinal symptoms...
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...Use of Statistical Information HCS/438 August 6, 2012 Use of Statistical Information Statistics is defined as “the science of collecting, organizing, and interpreting data” (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2009). For most patients and their families, the process of healthcare appears simple. People with illnesses are admitted into a hospital facility and a specific course of treatment is identified and the care is carried out by a team of physicians, nurses, and social workers. What is not noticed is a specialized resource team aimed at keeping all patients safe throughout the course of their hospitalization. This paper will identify how statistics are utilized in the infection prevention setting, identify one example of descriptive statistics, identify one example of inferential statistics, explain data at each of the four levels of measurement and describe the advantages of accurate interpretation of statistical information to improve decision making in the workplace. How Are Statistics Used in Your Workplace There are many uses for statistical application in the field of infection prevention and control. The purpose of infection prevention and control is to put into place policies and procedures that minimize the spread of infections, especially in the hospital setting. The primary function of infection prevention and control surveillance is to reduce the occurrence of infections by using risk factors and implementation of risk-risk reduction measures and the...
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...illness, life expectancy without treatment falls to about 1 year. People with AIDS need medical treatment to prevent death. The only way to know if you are infected with HIV is to be tested. You cannot rely on symptoms to know whether you have HIV. Many people who are infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more. Some people who are infected with HIV report having flu-like symptoms (often described as “the worst flu ever”) 2 to 4 weeks after exposure. Symptoms can include: • Fever • Enlarged lymph nodes • Sore throat • Rash These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. During this time, HIV infection may not show up on an HIV test, but people who have it are highly infectious and can spread the infection to others. However, you should not assume you have HIV if you have any of these symptoms. Each of these...
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...Evolution of New and Old Communicable Diseases According to Gordis (2004), epidemiology is defined as “the study of the distribution and determinants of health related states and event of diseases in specified populations and the application of this study to control of health problems”. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is contagious and potentially life threatening form of pneumonia which was first detected in February 2003 in Asia and it spread to various countries in Europe, North America and South America before it was declared as SARS 2003 global outbreak (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2004). SARS is an acute respiratory tract illness caused by an infectious virus transmitted from person to person. Various pathogens that cause acute respiratory diseases are respiratory syncytical virus, parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) (WHO, 2007). In 2003, various scientists across the world started investigating the virus with the help of electron microscopy and virus discovery microarrays. The new coronavirus was inoculated in monkeys which caused interstitial pneumonia similar to SARS (Holmes, 2003). This newly identified acute viral respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus is a positive-stranded RNA virus with genome containing nucleocapsid protein, membrane proteins and spike protein which forms the typical “coronavirus” structure (Lashley & Durham, 2007). Spreading...
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...Webster’s dictionary defines a disease as “a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms; a harmful development.” Add that with the definition of infectious disease from our AS Level and A Level Biology book - “...transmissible, or communicable diseases; diseases caused by pathogens that can spread from infected people to uninfected people” - and it’s no wonder why scientist and citizens alike are in a frenzy to understand what these diseases are like, how they are spread, what causes them, and most importantly, how to stop them. In the following paragraphs my job is to explain all of this to the best of my knowledge and ability. First up, Cholera. Cholera is the infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhea (or “rice water” as our Cambridge book likes to call it) and possible vomiting. It is a water-borne disease and occurs where people do not have access to proper sanitation such as a clean water supply or uncontaminated food (third world countries such as Bangladesh, where the first strain of this disease was found). Transmission occurs, primarily, by drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated by the feces of an infected person or the bacterium Vibrio cholerae has somehow been exposed to unclean water or food washed in said water. In the developed world (first world countries), seafood is the usual cause though...
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