Week 2 assignment: Chain of infection
1.
List and describe the six links in the chain of infection.
The infectious agent is salmonella, the reservoir is the contaminated food, exit route is direct contact by
eating the food, route of transmission is the mucus membrane, entry route is digesting the food, and the
susceptible host is Betty.
2.
Using the information and the chain of infection links, explain how the agent caused
gastroenteritis in Betty.
After consuming the contaminated food, which is the reservoir for the salmonella, once it entered her
body through digestion, it weakened her immune system. By weakening her immune system, it
weakened her body's ability to fight off infections which resulted in her attaining gastroenteritis.
3.
Explain how the healthcare provider broke the chain of infection during the clean-up to avoid
contaminating herself or future patients.
The healthcare provider broke the chain of infection by cleaning up the mess immediately and using a
special disinfectant which would kill the infectious agent. This prevents future patients from getting
infected because they come into a room that has been cleaned and disinfected properly.
4.
What PPE should the healthcare provider use to clean up the waste?
Eye protection, mask, gloves, and an apron.
5.
Where should the healthcare provider dispose of the waste?
In a biohazard waste bin.
