Essay on Infectious Disease and Measles Cases

Submitted By Renae-Fitzgerald
Words: 1629
Pages: 7
Open Document
Community Health Communicable Disease: Measles
Renae Fitzgerald, R.N.
Western Governors University

Community Health Communicable Disease: Measles The recent outbreak stemming from exposure at an amusement park in the California has brought attention to the continuing global impact of measles ("Measles Outbreak CA," 2015). The measles is a viral disease primarily effecting unvaccinated children and adults, however, is known to affect vaccinated individuals. The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of the virus, the epidemiology of a recent measles outbreak, risk factors, and impact on Stevens County Washington. Also provide reporting protocol and local preventative strategies. Through education, investigation, and planning a community health nurse will be able to employ this information to better prepare the community for potential communicable disease outbreaks.
Measles
Measles is a serious viral respiratory illness of which there has been a licensed vaccine since 1963 ("Measles," n.d.). Signs and symptoms include fever, feeling ill, cough, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, followed by clusters of white lesions in the buccal mucosa, and lastly a wide spread maculopapular rash. The person is considered contagious approximately four days prior to the appearance of the rash and days after its disappearance. Some common complications from the disease include otitis media, bronchopneumonia, laryngeal/trachea/bronchitis, and diarrhea. Serious complications include; encephalitis causing brain damage, death related to respiratory and neurologic complications, and sclerosing panencephalitis, which is rare but fatal. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reports 1-2 out of every 1000 children who become infected can develop respiratory and neurologic complications resulting in death ("Measles," n.d.). The virus is considered one of the most highly contagious diseases and is transmitted through direct contact or airborne exposure with infectious droplets. This virus remains communicable on surfaces for up to two hours after contamination. Children under five years, adults over the age of twenty, pregnant women, and immune-compromised individuals are most susceptible to complications ("Measles," n.d.). Immunity is determined by adequate vaccination, laboratory confirmation, or birth in the U.S. prior to 1957 ("Measles," n.d., p. 2).
2014-2015 California Outbreak On January 5th, 2015 the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) received notification of five suspected measles cases with all cases having reported a visit to a popular theme park between December 17th- 20th ("Measles Outbreak CA," 2015). By January 7th, seven cases had been confirmed in California and the state released a notification to the Epidemic Information Exchange alerting other states of the occurrence. The initial source has not yet been identified, however, the specific measles genotype B3 is related to a large epidemic in the Philippines, detected in 14 other countries, and six states in the last 6 months ("Measles Outbreak CA," 2015, para. 4). The amusement park associated with the outbreak receives an estimated 24 million visitors annually with many from countries where measles are widespread. As of February 11th, 2015 the related cases with rashes reported in seven states, Mexico, and Canada total 136. The majority of the affected population resides in California (110 patients). It is reported 35% (39 patients) of those patients visited the park during the dates in question and 34 patients had secondary exposure related to “household or close contacts” ("Measles Outbreak CA," 2015, para. 2). Not all cases in California have been directly linked to the theme park exposure time. The CDC states 37 California patients have an unknown exposure source and 5 patients were at the park, but not during the December 17-20 dates. Eight of the patients were exposed in a community setting. The largest portion of
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Infectious Disease and Measles Cases

antibiotics correction Essay

technical that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. Gene therapy is designed to introduce genetic material into cells to compensate for abnormal genes or to make a beneficial protein. If a mutated gene causes a necessary protein to be faulty or missing, gene therapy may be able to introduce a normal copy of the gene to restore the function of the protein. Also it used for treating inherited diseases, like cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease, the scope of potential gene therapies has grown…

Words 2114 - Pages 9

Smallpox Vaccinations For Children

are vaccinated no longer have to worry about their child’s death or disability from whooping cough, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis, or a host of other infections” (Ezekiel Emanuel). During the 1700’s diseases infiltrated in the United States causing fatal epidemics everywhere it settled in. These diseases such as Smallpox killed millions of people throughout the whole world. Even though there was no cure for smallpox there was a smallpox vaccine that led to its eradication. Upon the invention of the…

Words 1837 - Pages 8

NVQ LV3 3 Essay

chicken pox are infectious to others and illnesses like asthma are not infectious at all. The main signs that a child is ill are: Poor appetite. No energy. Change in behaviour (unusually quiet, not sleeping well, crying more than usual). Vomiting. Skin rash. Raised body temperature. A cough, headache, stomach ache, earache or runny nose. Looks pale. Is irritable. The most common childhood illnesses are: Flu. Tonsillitis. Diarrhoea. Chicken pox. Rubella (German measles). Measles. Impetigo. Ringworm…

Words 698 - Pages 3

Essay on Measles and New Born Babies

Page 4-What is measles Page 5-what is mumps Page 6-What is rubella/What is autism Page5-Advantages of vaccine/cases for the link between the MMR vaccine and autism Page 6-Cases against the link between the MMR Vaccine and autism Page 7-conclusion Page 8-References What is the MMR vaccine? “In 1988, the combined MMR vaccine was introduced to replace the three separate vaccinations for Measles, Mumps and rubella “[1]. It protects against measles which is a…

Words 1779 - Pages 8

Infectious Disease and Tiny White Spots Essay

Hour 7 The Measles Type of Organism: A virus with single-stranded RNA Common Name: Measles Scientific Name: Rubella Overview/History: The earliest written description of measles as a disease, was in the 9th century, by a scientist who described some differences between measles and smallpox in his medical notes. In 1757, Francis Homes demonstrated that measles was caused by an infectious agent present in the blood of patients. In 1954 the virus that causes measles was isolated…

Words 350 - Pages 2

Measles Research Paper

MEASLES Measles is caused by the measles virus, a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. Symptoms The initial symptoms of measles can include: a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, watery eyes, swollen eyelids. Sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light. A high temperature (fever), which may reach around 40C (104F), small greyish-white spots in the mouth, aches and pains, a cough, loss of appetite, tiredness, irritability…

Words 390 - Pages 2

Literature Review Final Essay example

measure in the history of medicine (Prymula, 2013). Because of vaccinations, the spread of diseases has been eradicated which is why diseases that were common many years ago, such as measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis, and diphtheria are rarely contracted. ). The CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization create a list of recommended vaccinations for children. Today, children are vaccinated against 14 diseases during their infancy and adolescent years (Miller and Reynolds). Although some paren…

Words 753 - Pages 4

Smallpox Vaccines

amusement park in California have all been hosts to potentially preventable diseases such as measles and mumps. With more families deciding to not vaccinate their children against diseases like these they increase opportunities…

Words 817 - Pages 4

Measles Virus Analysis

Measles is an example of a disease that was eradicated in the United States due to the efforts of the public health system. Although measles is no longer a large public health problem in America, it still affects a majority of the population in third world countries. Measles is an illness that is the result of the MeV virus. It is characterized by symptoms that are similar to those of influenza (Measles, 2014). The physical and chemical properties of the virus cause it to be a large problem in today’s…

Words 855 - Pages 4

Research essay

debating whether or not routine childhood immunisation should become mandatory under the potential risks of severe diseases, even though it prevents children from suffering pain of vaccine-preventable diseases. For the purpose of debates, the term “routine childhood immunisation” can be defined as the medical method of preventing patients who are in infancy from infectious disease, such as MMR. This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages brought about by routine childhood immunisation…

Words 2470 - Pages 10