preview

Task 3 Community Health Wgu Essay

Better Essays

Community and Population Health

By Malka Molly Hayman, RN

Task three

Communicable disease outbreak of the Measles

Communicable disease outbreak occurs when there is a larger then expected incidence of a disease. It can affect a small group or thousands of people in a region. In some instances even just two independent cases can lead to an outbreak, eventually leading to an epidemic, or pandemic which refers to a global outbreak. Measles is a communicable disease that is highly contagious according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The good news is that it is a preventable disease, because there is a vaccine that is available to prevent people from contracting it. One complication that arises is when some people …show more content…

This disease can lead to severe pneumonia, diarrhea, encephalitis and in a worst case scenario could even cause death.

Facts and figures available to study the epidemiological data for the outbreak of measles include gathering suspected and confirmed cases of this disease from the World Health Organization. This is done by gathering serum samples from all suspected cases to determine if a measles specific immunoglobulin antibody is detected. This particular disease lives in the nose and throat of the infected individual and is considered contagious for a period of four days before the rash appears and for a further four days after the sighting of the rash.

The route of transmission of the disease is via infected droplets that spray into the air when people cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can then be inhaled by other people who are in close proximity to the person who is infected. Unfortunately, these droplets can remain active and contagious for several hours on a surface, such that when you touch it with your fingers and then touch your nose or mouth you can become infected. While most cases are easily diagnosed by simply looking at the patient, in the majority of cases it is preferable to have blood tests to confirm 100%. Typically the patient will have a rash that looks like small, bright Koplik’s spots on the inside

Get Access