Epidemiology in Public and Global Health
Assignment: Epidemiology in Public and Global Health
DUE DATE 06/17
Epidemiologic surveillance is used in public and global health. For this Assignment, begin by locating a recent article about an outbreak of an infectious or communicable disease. The article can come from a newspaper or other source but your paper must be supported with at least three scholarly sources of evidence in the literature which may include your text or course readings.
For this Assignment, review the following:
• Walden paper template (found in the Writing Resources tab)
o Note that no abstract or running heading are required
Write a 3 page paper that includes the following:
• A summary of the article, including the title and author
o Identify the title of the article with in-text citation and corresponding reference in reference list
• The relationship among causal agents, susceptible persons, and environmental factors (epidemiological triangle)
• The role of the nurse in addressing the outbreak
• Two to three possible health promotion/health protection strategies that could have been implemented by nurses to mitigate the outbreak
• Conclusion
At least three scholarly sources of evidence part from your chosen article
Required Contents
1. Provide a fully developed the summary of an article about an outbreak of infectious or communicable disease with insightful analysis of concepts and related issues.
2. Provide a fully developed discussion of the relationship between causal agents, susceptible persons and the environmental factors that contributed to the outbreak with insightful analysis of concepts and related issues.
3. Provide a fully developed discussion of the leadership role of the public health nurse in the outbreak and 2-3 possible mitigation strategies with insightful analysis of concepts and related issues.
Required Readings
Holtz, C. (2022). Global health care: Issues and policies (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.
Chapter 11, “Infectious Diseases from a Global Perspective” (pp. 227-253)
Chapter 15, “Global Perspectives on Violence, Injury, and Occupational Health” (pp. 349-385)
Chapter 8, “Global Perspectives on Mental Health” (pp. 171-183)
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.). Elsevier.
Chapter 13, “Infectious Disease Prevention and Control” (pp. 286–318)
Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community, 9th Ed. by Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. Copyright 2015 by Elsevier Health Science Books. Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Health Science Books via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.). Elsevier.
Chapter 12, “Epidemiology” (pp. 256–285)
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.). Elsevier.
Chapter 24, “Public Health Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation” (pp. 529–544)
Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community, 9th Ed. by Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. Copyright 2015 by Elsevier Health Science Books. Reprinted by permission of Elsevier Health Science Books via the Copyright Clearance Center.
HealthyPeople.gov. (2016). Global health. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/global-health
Epidemiology in Public and Global Health
Summary of the Article
The selected article by the Center for Disease Control (2020) describes an infectious health condition called Salmonella. The article’s title is ‘Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Pet Hedgehogs.’ The article aims to educate people about the outbreak and create awareness for taking safety measures. For instance, the article shows that CDC indicates pet hedgehogs are carriers of the disease. CDC indicates that 70 percent of the patients admit they have been in contact with a hedgehog. According to the 2020 assessment, the article shows that the disease has been reported among 32 people across 17 states. The health agency educates the public by indicating the symptoms of the infectious disease, including stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea. Center for Disease Control (2020) health report indicates that Salmonella causes 450 deaths, nearly 36,000 hospitalizations, and approximately 1.2 million cases.
Epidemiological Triangle
The epidemiological triangle describes the causal agents, susceptible persons, and environmental factors. Studies show that the causative agent is Salmonella bacteria. The findings indicate that Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of birds and animals (Vaughn et al., 2020). Human beings are at risk of bacteria if they eat the meat of animals such as hedgehogs or their feces. Eating poorly cooked meat, poorly washed vegetables, and contaminated water can increase the risk of infection (Robinson et al., 2020). The incubation period for Salmonella bacteria is from a few hours to two days. People who own pets like hedgehogs are at a higher risk of infection. People traveling to different parts of the world are at risk of infection due to low hygiene levels. Other groups at risk of infection include HIV patients, elderly people with low immunity, sickle cell disease, and patients taking corticosteroids (Robinson et al., 2020). The bacteria affect blood vessels, the heart, and bone marrow.
Nursing of the Nurse in Addressing the Outbreak
Nurses are essential during the outbreak by providing sufficient information to the public to ensure they take precautions (Waltenburg et al., 2021). Creating awareness is vital in preventing the further spread of the outbreak to individuals, groups, and schools. Educating families to avoid causative factors such as hedgehogs is essential. Educating families takes the approach of seminars, workshops, and journals. Another vital role of a nurse is to provide care to the infected people.
Nurses are responsible for keeping data and tracking an infectious disease outbreak. Tracking the diseases will provide a better platform for making decisions on how to respond to the health crisis (Waltenburg et al., 2021). For instance, a surge in the number of affected patients shows the need for local healthcare facilities to prepare adequately. During outbreaks, nurses provide care and act like companions. Knowing that nurses can report the outbreaks is vital to ensure the stakeholders have sufficient resources to respond to the needy communities.
Healthcare workers, including nurses, have a duty to address health issues in the hospital. The workers, including care providers, strive to save lives and help the patients cope with the situation (Waltenburg et al., 2021). Another vital role is that nurses act as inquisitive people who collect data about patients. The objective of the nurses is to enhance data collection and presentation for quick recovery.
Health Promotion/Health Protection Strategies
The role of a nurse is to initiate health promotion strategies to protect the public from the outbreak. One of the strategies is to educate the public or patients’ families about the causative agents, symptoms, and preventive measures (Vaughn et al., 2020). For instance, educating people about the relationship between hedgehogs and the outbreak limits the transmission of the disease. It is important to encourage patients to avoid interacting with hedgehogs and report incidences of people with various symptoms of the outbreak.
The second measure is to carry out mass testing to ensure the healthcare workers can identify the patients with the disease before further transmission of the infectious illness. Early detection is a health promotion mechanism that prevents a disease’s further spread (Waltenburg et al., 2021). The detection will provide opportunities for early treatment and recovery. Late diagnosis increases the risk of lengthy hospital stays and a high mortality rate (Waltenburg et al., 2021). Mass testing is effective in isolating infected people from healthy individuals. The role of the health promotion mechanisms is to mitigate the disease and safeguard lives.
When patients start the medication, educating them to adhere to the condition and avoid interaction with hedgehogs is crucial. A lifestyle change is essential in adjusting the relationship with hedgehogs (Robinson et al., 2020). The measures provide quality measures that save communities from the adverse effects of the disease.
Conclusion
Salmonella causes 450 deaths, nearly 36,000 hospitalizations, and approximately 1.2 million cases. The massive loss of lives shows the need for government to take action against infectious diseases. Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of birds and animals. Nurses have a duty to educate communities and carry out mass testing. The objective is to prevent high mortality rates, encourage people to change behavior, and ensure patient safety in the community.
References
Center for Disease Control. (2020). Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Pet Hedgehogs. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-09-20/index.html
Robinson, E., Travanut, M., Fabre, L., Larréché, S., Ramelli, L., Pascal, L., … & Jourdan-Da Silva, N. (2020). Outbreak of Salmonella Newport associated with internationally distributed raw goats’ milk cheese, France, 2018. Epidemiology & Infection, 148.
Vaughn, E. L., Vo, Q. T., Vostok, J., Stiles, T., Lang, A., Brown, C. M., … & Madoff, L. (2020). Linking epidemiology and whole-genome sequencing to investigate Salmonella outbreak, Massachusetts, USA, 2018. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26(7), 1538.
Waltenburg, M. A., Nichols, M., Waechter, H., Higa, J., Cronquist, L., Lowe, A. M., … & Basler, C. (2021). Notes from the Field: Recurrence of a Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Infections Linked to Contact with Hedgehogs—United States and Canada, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(32), 1100.
