Epidemiology and Nursing Insights on Influenza Spread
School
Moi University**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
STATISTICS 316
Subject
Nursing
Date
Dec 12, 2024
Pages
7
Uploaded by francisonduto
1Communicable Diseases: Epidemiological and Nursing Research on Influenza`NameUniversityInstructor’s NameDate of Submission
2Influenza OverviewInfluenza is a respiratory illness that spreads from the nose and throat to the lungs. It isbrought on by influenza viruses, which can cause mild to severe disease. In the worst situations,influenza can be fatal. An annual immunization is the best defense against the flu (Lampejo,2020). Between 290,000 and 650,000 persons worldwide pass away from influenza-relatedrespiratory diseases each year. The flu has killed up to 52,000 people countrywide in a singleyear and costs the US billions of dollars in medical expenses. However, improvements inimmunizations are assisting in reversing the virus's potentially fatal trend.Influenza is mostly transmitted by droplets released when infected individuals cough,sneeze, or speak. If these droplets go into someone else's mouth or nose, they can spread theinfection up to six feet distant. Although less often, the flu can also be spread by touching themouth, nose, or eyes after contacting an infected object or surface (Lampejo, 2020). The firstthree to four days after becoming ill are when people infected with the flu virus are mostcontagious. However, most healthy persons can spread the infection up to seven days after theyget sick and even a day before symptoms appear. Children and those with compromised immunesystems may remain infectious for even longer.According to a CDC (2022), young children are most susceptible to flu-related illnesses,while those 65 and older have the lowest risk. By age group, the median incidence values (orattack rate) were 3.9% for adults aged 65 and over, 8.8% for adults aged 18 to 64, and 9.3% forchildren aged 0 to 17. Because influenza can cause serious illness and even death, especially inhigh-risk groups like the elderly, small children, and people with long-term medical issues, it is asickness that needs to be reported. Laboratory-confirmed illnesses and influenza-related deathsare among the reporting requirements.
3Epidemiology of InfluenzaParticularly when it comes to the influenza virus, the epidemiologic triangle is useful forexamining and addressing the process of viral spread. Three elements comprise theepidemiologic triangle: an agent, or bacterium, that causes the disease; a host, or organism, thatspreads the disease; and an environment of outside variables that trigger or enable diseasetransmission. The particular elements contributing to the epidemiologic process can be addressedby applying the framework to influenza.First, the epidemiological triangle states that the influenza virus functions as an agent.According to Gastanaduy et al. (2019), the so-called "what" of the triangle is a flu virus thatcauses illness and belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae family. Influenza is a virus that replicates byinfecting the contaminated organism's cells rather than by reproducing itself. Second, thecreature that the agent enters and has a viral infection is called the "host" (Gastanaduy et al.,2019). Similar to how influenza causes distinct symptoms in toddlers and adults, different hostsmay respond to the same drug in various ways. Animals can serve as hosts for certain influenzastrains, although human-related viruses only harm human carriers by causing particularsymptoms. Finally, the environment consists of favorable circumstances that produce a suitableclimate and a group of elements that contribute to the transmission of an agent to a host. In highaltitudes, cold, dry weather is an attractive setting for influenza viruses, while in low latitudes,the disease spreads more easily in damp, rainy conditions.Some particular considerations are made to stop the spread of the infection in light of theanalysis indicated above. Thus, vaccinations are extensively promoted and used to boost thehost's resistance, immunity, and defense mechanisms that lessen one's vulnerability to the virus.As a result, in order to promote disease reduction, many workplaces and institutions offer free
4vaccinations. Regarding the environment, it is clear that the virus grows well in humid, tropicalregions and spreads readily by salivary droplets. Therefore, by fostering a positive environment,the communities at risk encourage individuals to wear face masks, take sick days, and getvaccinated to prevent contracting and spreading the virus.Community Health NurseCommunity health nurses are one of the important change agents in the medical field thathelp promote influenza prevention. The World Health Organization (2020) defined communityhealth nurses as workers whose tasks involve patient care, providing information on how toinvest in personal health, and prevention of diseases. Clinical care and complementary abilitiesare the two categories of duties they have listed for influenza prevention. World HealthOrganization (2020) states that primary and secondary prevention, including health assessment,illness management, case discovery, treatment, observation, and case management, by assignedresponsibilities, comprise clinical care. Cultural sensitivity, leadership, participatory research,and the creation of instruments for data collecting and analysis are complementary competenciesthat outline the abilities required for nurses to function well in a community context (WorldHealth Organization, 2020). Through case discovery, data collection, reporting, analysis, andfollow-up, community health nurses play a crucial role as change agents in disease prevention bycompleting all of the duties and applying the abovementioned abilities.The demographic information gathered by community health nurses is essential forpublic health. In addition to giving medical personnel the knowledge they need to plan for futurepreventative actions, demographic data demonstrating illness development and patterns also aidsin addressing present public health issues (World Health Organization, 2020). Demographicinformation, for example, can reveal which populations are most susceptible to influenza,
5enabling healthcare professionals to aggressively prevent infection by focusing on individualswith these traits.Safety Resource: Influenza Division International ProgramTogether with other national ministries of health and WHO, the CDC established anInfluenza Division International Program to combat the spread of the influenza virus andpromote flu awareness and prevention. The Division's main objectives are to reduce the impactof different forms of influenza, educate people globally about the risks involved, and develop anevidence-based strategy for control and prevention on a global scale ("Centre for DiseaseControl," 2022). Enhancing the gathering and dissemination of influenza-related data by helpingother nations establish and sustain continuous virus reporting is one of the primary goals of theInfluenza Division International Program ("Centers for Disease Control," 2022). In order tolower the number of risk factors that put people in danger, the Division also seeks to identify andstudy vulnerable populations.Global implicationsInfluenza is a virus that affects nations worldwide because of its high risk oftransmutability and particularly favorable settings. The arrival of favorable climatic conditionshas a seasonal impact on certain locations. Nonetheless, there are some areas where the climatemakes influenza a persistently appealing setting, which causes an endemic situation in somenations. South and East Asia are among the areas most affected by the influenza endemic, claimXue et al. (2019). China, in particular, has to deal with the influenza endemic regularly becauseof its environment and artificially manufactured cultural habits that encourage the spread ofinfluenza. China has a very different approach to illness prevention.
6In Asian nations, particular cultural ramifications for influenza prophylaxis help to reducethe sickness overall. Some region-specific therapies include combining conventional andWestern medications to prevent seasonal flu and prescribing traditional Asian medicine to treatinfluenza symptoms (Jiang, 2021). Novelties such as "boiling white vinegar to kill air-bornegerms and diet therapy to enhance health" (Jiang, 2021) were among the other culture-specificpractices. In China and other Asian nations, wearing face masks is more socially acceptable aspart of a broader culture that prioritizes public health control over individual comfort.
7ReferencesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Influenza Division International Program. Retrieved from: https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/flu/international/program/index.htmGastanaduy, P. A., Redd, S. B., Clemmons, N. S., Lee, A. D., Hickman, C. J., Rota, P. A., & Patel, M. (2019). Manual for the surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www. cdc. Gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt07-measles. html.Jiang, L. C. (2021). Effects of narrative persuasion in promoting influenza vaccination in Hong Kong: a randomized controlled trial. Patient Education and Counseling, 104(4), 800–807.Xue, L., Zeng, G., Xue, L., & Zeng, G. (2019). Global strategies and response measures to the influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic. A comprehensive evaluation on emergency response in China: The case of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009, 15-44.World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe. (2020). Competencies for nurses working in primary health care. World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/365607. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO