NURS 8310/ NURS 8310F/ NURS 8310M/ NURS 8310A/ NURS 8310C: Epidemiology and Population Health | Week 9 – Emergence and Reemergence of Infectious Disease Assignment

Emergence and Reemergence of Infectious Disease Assignment – As you have examined in this course, the scope of epidemiology has broadened over the years to include the global investigation of chronic, environmental, and genetic diseases and other health-related conditions. Yet, the practice of epidemiology has its roots in the study of infectious disease, global epidemics, and pandemics. Perhaps you recall the widely reported concerns about the H1N1 virus, SARS, or the reemergence of measles, tuberculosis, or whooping cough. The emergence and reemergence of infectious disease has long held the attention of epidemiologists, as well as the general public.

This week, you will explore the investigative process epidemiologists use to examine infectious diseases. You will also submit Assignment 4.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze the investigative process for disease outbreaks
• Evaluate the application of health care interventions on emerging or reemerging infectious diseases
• Formulate an evaluation plan for a population health intervention

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2014). Epidemiology for public health practice (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

• • Chapter 12, “Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases”

In this chapter, the authors examine the epidemiology of infectious diseases, one of the most familiar applications of epidemiology.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). CDC says “Take 3” actions to fight the flu. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm

This page contains the CDC’s most up-to-date recommendations regarding the prevention of seasonal flu. In addition to this page, you may wish to explore the CDC’s Seasonal Influenza home page, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

World Health Organization. (2012). Disease outbreak news. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information on the most recent disease outbreaks around the world. Stay up to date by visiting this site.

HealthMap. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.healthmap.org/en

Explore this interactive map that lists disease outbreaks around the world.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Morbidity and mortality weekly report: Summary of notifiable diseases. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_nd/index.html

Review the most current report on infectious diseases as reported by health care providers to state or local authorities. According to the CDC, “A disease is designated as notifiable if timely information about individual cases is considered necessary for prevention and control of the disease.” This report highlights infectious diseases reported in 2009.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012). Epidemiology and population health: Infectious disease: Two case studies [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 8 minutes.

In this week’s program, the presenters discuss HIV and AIDS.

Optional Resources

Ghosh, T. S., Patnaik, J. L., Alden, N. B., & Vogt, R. L. (2008). Internet-versus telephone-based local outbreak investigations. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 14(6), 975–977.

Seto, E. Y.W., Soller, J. A. & Colford, J. M. Jr. (2007). Strategies to reduce person-to-person transmission during widespread Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 13(6), 860–866.

Discussion: Investigating Pandemics and Epidemics

Some of the most notable epidemics include the bubonic plague in the 14th century, smallpox in the 18th century, and influenza in the 20th century. Reportedly, the bubonic plague caused over 137 million deaths, whereas the death toll associated with influenza was 25 million (Ernst, 2001). These are dramatic examples of the kinds of acute outbreaks that led to the practice of epidemiology.

Many epidemiologists and health care professionals are concerned about the next potential pandemic or epidemic. With the increased mobility of society, the spread of infectious diseases continues to pose a serious threat. For this Discussion, you will investigate pandemics and epidemics using epidemiological tools, and you will consider strategies for mitigating disease outbreaks.

To prepare:

• Using the Learning Resources, consider examples of emerging or reemerging infectious diseases that are occurring locally, nationally, or abroad. Then, select one example on which to focus.
• Explore the epidemiological investigative process used to identify the emerging or reemerging infectious disease or outbreak.
• Examine your selected infectious disease using the epidemiologic triangle and vector theory.
• Consider how health care interventions may reduce the emergence or reemergence of infectious diseases.

By Day 3

Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:

• Identify the emerging or reemerging infectious disease you selected.
• Discuss the investigative process used to identify the outbreak, and describe its effect using descriptive epidemiology (person, place, and time).
• Apply the epidemiologic triangle and vector theory to your selected outbreak.
• Evaluate how prior health care interventions, or lack thereof, created the conditions that allowed this infectious disease to emerge.
• Discuss how the disease outbreak might have been avoided or mitigated. Include agencies, organizations, and resources that could have supported these efforts. If appropriate, consider ongoing efforts to control the outbreak.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research.
• Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
• Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
• Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
• Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
• Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence. Emergence and Reemergence of Infectious Disease Assignment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;

Discuss emergence and reemergence of infectious disease

Introduction

The terms emergence and reemergence are often used interchangeably in scientific literature, but there is actually a difference between them.

Emergence refers to the return of an infection that has been previously controlled or eradicated. Reemergence refers to when an infection exists in a population but returns after having been previously controlled or eradicated.

Reemergence of infectious disease refers to the return of a previously controlled, or eradicated, infectious disease.

Reemergence is the return of a previously controlled, or eradicated, infectious disease.

It can also refer to a disease that already exists in a population. Reemergence is called resurgence if the disease is already present.

The reemergence of an infectious disease that already exists in a population is called resurgence.

The reemergence of an infectious disease that already exists in a population is called resurgence. Reemergence can be caused by changes in human behavior, such as increased travel and trade.

Be sure to check out the resources for more information about these terms.

The terms “emergence” and “reemergence” are used to describe the sudden appearance of a disease in an area that had previously been free from that disease. This could be because there was no previous exposure to the virus or because of some other factor that caused it not to cause human infections before.

The term emergence is also used when referring to viruses which have gained widespread distribution through human movement, particularly travel between countries or regions with different cultural backgrounds. For example, AIDS came into being after its spread among American soldiers during World War II; malaria has been around since ancient times but was first recorded as an epidemic among Italian tourists returning from South America in 1885; yellow fever became common in New York City following America’s acquisition of Cuba’s San Juan Hill during Spanish-American War; cholera broke out just after England took control over India from Britain (1858).

The emergence/reemergence concept applies both at home and abroad: for example, rabies spread quickly through Europe due to increased contact between humans as well as animals during medieval times; smallpox killed millions of Indians before British colonizers introduced vaccination programs into India around 1797

Emergence is a broader term that describes not only previously controlled and eradicated diseases, but also new diseases and newly recognized syndromes.

Emerging infections are often diseases caused by new pathogens, which means that people have no immunity or resistance to them. These include viruses, bacteria and parasites. In addition to these types of emerging infections, it is also considered an emerging infection if there is a newly recognized syndrome (e.g., Lyme disease).

Emergence refers to the appearance of a previously controlled infectious disease in a population that does not have immunity or resistance against it because its pathogen has been successfully eradicated from the environment. Reemergence refers to the return of an old infectious disease after being eradicated from a population at some point in time—for example, smallpox was declared eliminated as late as 1980 but then reappeared when vaccine protection against variola virus (the causative agent) was lost due to poor vaccine production quality control standards during World War II-era mass inoculations programs worldwide.*

As human populations grow more populous and move into areas where animals reside, contact between humans and animals increases.

• As human populations grow more populous and move into areas where animals reside, contact between humans and animals increases.

• This leads to an increase in the prevalence of infections that have been transmitted among people through contact with infected animals.

• Diseases like Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and Ebola are examples of reemerged infectious diseases that have recently caused concern worldwide as they spread quickly among communities lacking immunity or resistance to them. It is important for healthcare providers to be aware of these emerging diseases so they can provide appropriate treatment options if needed (see below).

Since emerging infections are often diseases caused by new pathogens, they can spread very rapidly since people have no immunity or resistance to them.

Since emerging infections are often diseases caused by new pathogens, they can spread very rapidly since people have no immunity or resistance to them. People can be exposed to emerging infections in many ways, including travel, direct contact with animals and insects, and contact with contaminated food or water.

Infectious diseases that have been eradicated may reemerge when the host population has been weakened by other causes (e.g., famine). For example, malaria was once a common disease but has disappeared in some areas because of improved public health measures; however it has been reintroduced into those areas due to global warming and changes in eco-systems such as forest clearance for agriculture purposes or mining operations without proper waste disposal practices

Conclusion

As you can see, there is quite a lot to know about the emergence and reemergence of infectious diseases. If you’re interested in learning more about these terms, check out our other articles on this topic. We hope that this post has provided some insight into why these diseases appear again and how we can prevent them from spreading further into our communities!