...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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...July 5, 2015 Chickenpox is an infection caused by the highly contagious varicella-zoster virus. A common communicable disease which can be a harmless or deadly disease depending on the community which is affected. Education and healthcare prevention will prove evident in the control of the spread of the chickenpox disease. Chickenpox is an airborne disease which is spread by coughing and sneezing of an infected person or direct contact with skin lesions. The initial symptoms of chickenpox are a fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache and a sore throat. A red skin rash appears a few days after the initial symptoms and forms small, itchy blisters. “After a chickenpox red spot appears, it usually takes about 1 or 2 days for the spot to go through all its stages, this includes blistering, bursting, drying and crusting over. New red spots will appear every day for up to 5 to 7 days” (Chickenpox (Varicella)-Topic Overview, n.d.). The rash initially appears on the face, back and chest to quickly cover the body including mucous membranes such as the mouth, genital area or in the ears. These symptoms will begin ten to twenty-one days after exposure to a contagious person. The virus can be spread by a person who is infected with chickenpox before symptoms even appear and until all blisters have crusted over. Chickenpox is a common childhood disease, “more than 90% of cases occur in children younger than 10 years old” (Chickenpox: Background, Pathophysiology...
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...Community/Public Health Nursing NRS-427V August 8, 2015 Chicken Pox or Varicella is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus that causes a blister like itchy rash all over the body. The rash is the disclosing indication of chicken pox (Mayo Clinic 2015). While signs and symptoms of chicken pox will usually appear one to two days prior to the rash, the rash itself will last from five to ten days. The symptoms that appear before the rash are headache, fever, general malaise, cough and loss of appetite. There are three phases of rash once it appears; Phase 1 red or pink papules all over the body for several days; Phase 2 The papules turn into vesicles or fluid filled blisters for the period of one day, the vesicles then break and leak; Phase 3 the vesicles scab and become crusted over then take a few more days to heal. There is the possibility to have all three phases of the disease (papules, vesicles and scabs) appearing at one time, as the papules in the beginning, tend to appear for several days. If one is infected with chicken pox, the virus can be spread for 48 hours prior to breaking out in the papules. The patient will then stay contagious until all of the vesicles have scabbed over (Mayo Clinic 2015). The disease itself is mild for most people, but a vaccination is available and a very effective and safe way to prevent chicken pox and its complications. Varicella spreads very quickly between people that have never had the vaccination...
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...Microbiology Case Studies 1.1-1.8 Case 1.1 1. The fertility specialist recommended the rubella vaccine because if the rubella virus is contracted early in pregnancy there is an increased risk of miscarriage or birth defects such as deafness, cataracts, mental retardation, heart defects, liver and spleen damage. There are contraindications related to conceiving within four weeks of receiving the rubella vaccination because it is a “live” vaccine and could still cause complications. 2. In the United States it is recommended that children receive the first dose of the MMR (measles, mumps rubella) vaccination between 12-15 months (not earlier) and then to receive a second dose around 4-6 years of age. 3. The client’s description does not correlate with the rubella virus. Symptoms of the rubella infection typically only last 3 days and are often referred to as the “3 day measles”. 4. In order to check the immune status of the client the test would be checking for IgG antibodies. The absence of IgG rubella antibodies indicates that the person has likely not been exposed to the rubella virus or vaccine. IgG are also the only antibodies that can cross the placenta to protect the fetus. 5. To test for a current rubella infection using only the IgG antibody test the physician should order the initial IgG for a baseline and then perform the test again in 2-3 weeks to check if there was a significant increase (titer) present. An increase would indicate recent or current infection. Case 1.2 1...
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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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...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 with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to Chickenpox. Mode of transmission It disseminates easily from an infected individual who sneezes, coughs, or shares food or drinks and also if you come in contact with the fluid from a chickenpox blister. Symptoms The standard symptom of chickenpox is an itchy rash, red spots or blisters (pox) that turn into scabs (usually in...
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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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...we still need to be careful in making a well informed decision on behalf of this we love and care about. It is still possible to contract the disease we were vaccinated against, as in the case of chicken pox, where a person can come down with a slight case of it. We will look at the pros and cons of the immunisation debate and understand the benefit of proper decision making when deciding to get immunised. Body It is thought that vaccinations can help stop, and even get rid of, nasty diseases. It is reported that “Polio, for example, was eliminated in the United States by 1979 after widespread vaccination efforts” - as quoted from historyofvaccines.org. But while some people vaccinate their children, others do not. (Research from the National Health Performance Authority has found 77,000 Australian children are not fully immunised. As reported by Amy Simmons for ABC News. April 2013) In numerous parts of the world, it is thought that people need vaccines to stop the spread of disease. While some countries aren’t plagued with deadly diseases, there are some countries that absolutely appear to need it. For example, Bolivia, Burundi, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Egypt are just a few of the countries plagued with Yellow Fever and Malaria. Experts say they need special vaccines to help slow down the spread of both diseases. They also claim that the usual symptoms of these diseases without being vaccinated against are high fevers, vomiting, muscle pain,...
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...In 2011, there were 19,454 reported cases of vaccine preventable diseases in the United States alone (Rouch 2011). Most of these cases could have been prevented simply by getting a vaccination for certain diseases. There has been much discussion in recent years over whether or not parents should have their children vaccinated. Parents hear a great deal of information in the medi about the effectiveness and side effects of vaccinations. After hearing all sorts of negative things about vaccinations, it is easy to see why parents would be reluctant to have their children injected with all sorts of chemicals. In the end, the reason that children are not required to be vaccinated is that it is illegal to force someone to be vaccinated, but is it right to send unvaccinated children to school with other children? The fact of the matter, is that immunizations do their job and all children who attend public schools should be vaccinated and protected from preventable diseases. Some people assume that because certain diseases like Polio have been eradicated from the United States it is now unnecessary to be required to receive the vaccination. This assumption could not be any farther from the truth. Polio is still a huge problem in other regions across the globe (WHO 2007). If it were re-introduced into disease free places, the results could be devastating for those unprotected from such viruses. In 2008, an unvaccinated 7 year old contracted measles while he and his family were traveling...
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...would send you into hysterics. Vaccines were something none of us enjoyed while growing up, but if you think about it, who actually enjoys getting a shot. We may have not known the meaning behind these vaccines, but our parents did and they were protecting us from harmful diseases. Diseases that could end up fatal. Something we never had to think about until we became or become parents ourselves. What? You’re going to be parents? Congratulations, that is wonderful! Now you have all these decisions to make, including healthcare. Finally the wonderful day arrives and you may now understand the things that your parents worried about as you were growing up that you never understood. So, now with your newborn you head off to the pediatricians office for his or hers first wellness visit to make sure your baby is healthy. As the doctor starts to speak with you about vaccines for your child, you have all these questions going through your mind. You question side effects, vaccine schedules, and most importantly the rumors of mercury in vaccines. There are four types of vaccines for immunizations. Live attenuated, which includes measles, mumps, rubella (MMR combined), Varicella (Chickenpox), Influenza (nasal spray), and Rotavirus. The inactivated killed vaccines include Polio (IPV), and Hepatitis A. The Toxoid, which is an inactivated toxin, is part of the DTaP combined immunization of Diphtheria and Tetanus. Last there is the Subunit conjugate vaccines which include Hepatitis B, Influenza(injection)...
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...Journal Article Critique According to Bamberger, D. (2010)," bacterial meningitis in the United States remains a medical emergency with a prospective for high morbidity and death even though the annual incidences are declining. With the increased use of conjugate vaccines, the yearly occurrence of bacterial meningitis in the United States dropped from 1.9 to 1.5 cases per 100,000 people between 1998 and 2003, with overall death rate of 15.6%". The age, immunosuppression and neurosurgical procedures add to the like hood of infection from specific pathogens. In people with community-acquired meningitis, aseptic meningitis is a lot more frequent than bacterial meningitis. At least 96% of children with cerebrospinal fluid exocytosis have aseptic meningitis. In adults, the incidence of aseptic meningitis is 7.6 cases per 1000,000 people and most common etiologies are enterovirus, HSV, and varicella-zooster virus infections (Bamberger, 2010). According to Bamberger, D. (2010), "in adults with community-acquires bacterial meningitis, 25% have recent otitis or sinusitis, 12% have pneumonia, and 16 % are immunocompromised". Fever, neck stiffness and altered mental statues are present in 99% to 100% of patients with meningitis. Of the patients that have meningococcal meningitis 63 % of them have a rash that is petechial. Pneumococcal meningitis is more likely than meningococcal meningitis to be associated with seizures, focal neurologic findings, and altered consciousness...
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...airborne disease that spreads easily from coughs and sneezes of carriers. The first known description of a pertussis outbreak was by Guillaume De Baillou, who described an epidemic in Paris in 1578. The epidemic primarily affected infants and young children and resulted in many deaths. The causative organism was first grown in 1906, and the first crude vaccines appeared soon thereafter. 2. Characteristics of the vaccine Pertussis is one of the 6 diseases initially identified by the WHO in May 1974, for its mass immunization program. Before widespread use of whole-cell pertussis vaccine, there were as many as 270,000 cases of pertussis reported each year in the U.S. with 10,000 deaths. The occurrence of pertussis declined markedly after universal pertussis vaccination of children in the 1940s. The multicomponent acellular pertussis vaccine is 71 to 85 percent effective. However, despite widespread vaccination, pertussis has persisted in vaccinated populations and immunization does not confer lifelong immunity, only offering protection for 3 to 6 years. Estimates from the WHO suggest that in 2008, about 16 million cases of pertussis occurred worldwide, 95 percent of which were in developing countries, and about 195,000 children died from the disease. K. Pneumococcal pneumonia Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The disease causes the alveoli of the lungs to be filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen...
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...THE USE OF VACCINES Vaccines have been considered instrumental in making the world a healthier environment for children and adults alike; however, vaccines do impose some health risks. It is important for all parents to consider both the benefits and risks of vaccines when deciding whether or not to have a child vaccinated. Vaccines are made up of products that stimulate a person’s immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease. They are usually administered through needle injections by mouth or sprayed into the nose. They are made up of small amounts of weakened or dead versions of bacteria, viruses, or other antigens that stimulate the immune system to create antibodies that prevent future infections from the disease. There are fourteen vaccine-preventable diseases that are considered potentially serious and have been routinely vaccinated against; these are: Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Meningococcal, Rotavirus, Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough), Polio, Hepatitis A and B, Pneumococcal disease, Varicella (Chicken Pox), and Haemophilus Influenza Type B (HIB disease). Not long ago, these diseases disabled and killed millions of American children but because of the United States high compliance with childhood immunization schedules, these diseases have now become very uncommon (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). Immunization is a subject that evokes very strong opinions...
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...HERPES ZOSTER Herpes zoster (shingles) is a relatively common neurological disorder. Its estimated annual incidence is 3-4 per 1,000 of the general population. The incidence is significantly higher in older people and immunocompromised subjects (irrespective of their age). Herpes zoster is caused by the varicella zoster virus and, typically, develops many years after the patient had recovered from chickenpox. It is thought that at the time of infection with chickenpox the virus migrates from the skin to the sensory ganglia via the axons of peripheral nerves and remains dormant in the ganglia, usually for many years. Activation of the virus occurs when the subject’s cell immunity is reduced. The activated virus travels along the sensory nerve...
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