Environmental and Global Health Issues: Measles

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Measles
Epidemiological Indicators Associated with Measles
Epidemiological Data Analysis
Mode of Transmission
Effects of Measles Outbreak in a Community
Procedure for Reporting SARS Outbreak
Air Quality Index
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

The modern-day world has become what is commonly referred to as a global village. There are movements across countries and even continents as people travel for leisure, business, or medical reasons. Advances in technology have improved all sectors of the economy like the transport, medical, tourism sectors among others. This has come with many public health challenges like the spread of diseases across borders as people move from one place to another. Changes in the environmental conditions have led to the emergence of new diseases or re-emergence of others that were once viewed as controlled. This has led to a disease epidemic as lately evidenced by the rise in cases of H1N1 flu all over the world. Poor information and lack of preventive methods for these diseases have been the main factors leading to these epidemics. These are some of the challenges faced by community health officials. This essay analyses a case of measles disease giving its epidemiological data, causes, manifestations and the route of transmission.

Measles

Measles is a viral infectious disease that affects the respiratory system. It is caused by a paramyxovirus of the genus morbillivirus. Measles is highly infectious and can affect up to 90% of a population who are not vaccinated against it and are sharing some facilities with an infected person. It mainly affects young children and its incubation period ranges from 6 days to 19 days. Its infectivity is 4 to 9 days when contact is made with fluids from an infected person’s respiratory system. In an outbreak its presentations are; severe fever with cough, coryza and conjunctivitis (Griffith et al, 2006, p. 454). A red to dark brown rush appears beginning from the head and spreading to the rest of the body causing a characteristic itching and discomfort. Complicated measles is more common in malnourished children due to vitamin A deficiency and in immuno-compromised persons with HIV/AIDS.

Epidemiological Indicators Associated with Measles

In developed countries, the number of people who die of measles is three per a thousand cases making a fatality rate of 3%. However, in developing countries, the fatality rate can be as high as 28% (Perry, 2004 p.1549). For example, in the US during the period 2000-07, out of a total of 501 cases 132 cases were hospitalized while the deaths reported were 2 cases. A total of 49% of the deaths were reported in children while more than 90% of fatal cases had no history of vaccination. Measles occurs everywhere around the world but is more common in developing countries of Africa and Asia where there are poor health infrastructures.

Epidemiological Data Analysis

Measles is among the most contagious disease in the world and is highly frequent and densely distributed in poor developing nations of Africa and Asia. Almost every child who is not vaccinated will contract this disease if exposed to the causative virus. The determinants for this are poor health institutions and social-cultural issues. There is a lot of sharing of birth water among children leading to the spread of infections. In the world, the number of measles cases has fallen from an estimated 873, 000 in 1999 to 345,000 by 2005(Perry Halsey, 2004, p.1550). This disease is prevented through mass vaccination to all children under the age of five years.

Mode of Transmission

The virus that causes measles is transmitted through coughing and sneezing, contact with infected person, or directly through contact with fluids from throat or nose of an infected person.

Effects of Measles Outbreak in a Community

Apart from causing death, measles causes disease burden in the community affecting mainly the children. This takes a lot of attention from the parents who lose plenty of time that could have been used productively elsewhere. Health care has become an expensive affair and the sick spend a lot of money seeking treatment. This disease also puts pressure on the countries’ health sector as all attention is diverted towards its control. Finally, the sick children waste a lot of time away from school and this causes failure in certain grades.

Procedure for Reporting SARS Outbreak

First, a thorough investigation of the cases is done noting the history of patients and their contacts in the last few days. After this, proper diagnosis is carried out through lab investigations to establish whether it’s a case of SARS. When a case of SARS is confirmed, the health facility contacts the Department of Health’s communicable disease control and provides this information. After this line listing of cases is established at the facility where the Department of Epidemiology is informed together with public health laboratories. Other methods like phone calls, faxes, and e-mails can also be used. According to Clark (2008, p. 18), appropriate measures are then taken to contain the disease in the local areas to prevent spread. The patient is isolated and put on medication until cleared off. If the cases are beyond the recommended threshold by the WHO, SARS is declared an epidemic in the concerned area and appropriate public health measures are carried out to prevent and control the disease.

Air Quality Index

If there is change in air in terms of pollution, adverse health effects may arise especially with patients with respiratory diseases. The air may be much polluted to an extent that it is harmful to the health of people. With this increased pollution, care modification should be done to decrease the risk due to poor air quality. This can be done by ensuring a free flow of air by using electric fans which re-freshens the air and ensuring ventilation in their houses is maintained. Also, I would employ use of devices that reduce pollution like wet scrubbers and electronic precipitators. The wet scrubbers remove air pollution by absorbing the pollutants on their surfaces after which they are scrubbed off. The electronic precipitator attracts air pollutants in the form of particles thus improving the air quality. These devices clean the air and reduce the pollutants to acceptable levels.

Conclusion

In conclusion, infectious diseases are those diseases that are passed from one person to another through various modes of transmission. Since the discovery of a vaccine, the measles incidence rate has reduced greatly and this trend should be encouraged. Together we should embrace the prevention of diseases by all means including environmental manipulations. By so doing the world will become a good place to live in for everyone.

Reference List

Clark, M. (2008). Community Health Nursing: Advocacy for Population Health. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Griffith, W. et al (2006). Complete Guide to Symptoms, Illness & Surgery. Toronto: Perigee

Perry, T. and Halsey, A. (2004).The clinical significance of measles. The Journal of Infectious Diseases (Infectious Diseases Society of America) 189 (S1): 1547–1783. Web.

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