Although there is little news of it today, Diphtheria was one of the most common diseases found in the Eastern Region especially in Europe. Known as the “Strangling angel of children” it caused the death of many children by suffocation in Europe during the 17th century. Although today it is very rare to find this disease in the United States, this disease is commonly found in places where there is low hygiene or an unclean environment. Due to the modern understanding of the transmission and composition along with the development of a vaccine; it has brought us a long way of avoiding this disease.
Diphtheria is caused by a pathogenic (disease causing) bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheria also known as C. diphtheria (Nordqvist, 2004-2014). This bacterium usually effects the upper respiratory tract where inflammation is contracted. In a serious matter or event, this pathogen can be deadly once it enters the blood stream that leads to major parts of the body which includes the heart, brain and the nerves. This disease is also contagious and can be contracted by inhaling ultramicroscopic solid or liquid particles known as aerosolized secretions, direct contact with secretions or skin ulcer, and through contaminated items such as household or personal items.
There are two types of Diphtheria which is cutaneous (skin) and respiratory. Respiratory diphtheria involves areas such as the nose, throat and tonsils, and cutaneous diphtheria involves the skin (Government, 2012). Respiratory diphtheria is extremely uncommon here in the United States due to the large vast of immunization. Respiratory diphtheria is usually known as a sore throat in which the pathogen clings itself to a membrane of the tonsils, larynx and pharynx. It then ca...
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...ntaminates and spread the disease any further. Once the patient has been clear of Diphtheria only then can they be allowed to leave the isolation ward and the hospital.
Due to technologies and scientific methods of today’s healthcare, there are many ways to prevent Diphtheria from occurring. The best way to prevent this disease is to make sure, that everyone has an up-to-date vaccination shot. DTap is a vaccine that helps the body to build up protection against the diphtheria toxin that is released throughout the body (Prevention, 2013). This shot is given to children around the ages of four to six months and then a booster shot is given later on. Once they are an adult, a booster shot known as Tdap and Td is given in a single dose and it is recommended every ten years. By keeping up with vaccination shots, it can help maintain effective control in our environment.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious and acute respiratory disease caused by an aerobic Gram negative encapsulated coco-bacillus bacterium, Bordetella pertussis. It is a strict human pathogen with no known animal or environmental reservoirs and an air-borne disease. On inhalation, Bordetella pertussis colonizes the ciliated cells of the bronchio-epithelium to cause disease characterised by; epithelial damage, hyper mucus secretion, pulmonary edema and paroxysmal coughing. It is often accompanied by pneumonia, otitis edema, seizures, post-tussive vomiting and encephalopathy (1).
The article’s information is presented with the goal of informing a reader on vaccines. The evidence is statistical and unbiased, showing data on both side effects and disease prevention, providing rates of death and serious illness from both sides. This evidence is sourced from a variety of medical organizations and seems reliable, logical, and easily understood, no language that would inspire an emotional response is used. The validity of studies is not mentioned in the article, but it does encourage readers to investigate further to help make a decision. The article allows a reader to analyze the presented evidence and come to their own
“Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial infection caused primarily by the species Legionella pneumophila, it was initially recognized as the cause of a 1976 outbreak of respiratory disease outbreak in Philadelphia. Legionellosis infection occurs after persons have breathed mists that come from a water source. The most recent outbreak of Legionnaires’disease is in New York City, in the Bronx, with a total of ten deaths and more than one hundred outbreaks, which were traced to a cooling tower, deaths have also been reported in Michigan, and Ohio.
Each day researchers are finding out about vaccines and are realizing that there are a lot more risks than benefits. Dr Phillip F. Incao explains: “Today, far more children suffer from allergies and other chronic immune system disorders than from life-threatening infectious disease. It is neither reasonable nor prudent to persist in presuming that the benefits of any vaccination outweigh its risk” (qtd in Spaker). While infectious diseases are becoming uncommon there is no need for any person to get vaccinated. There have been many issues surrounding vaccinations all around the world.
Legionnaires disease, characterized as a form of pneumonia, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Legionella. Legionnaires disease accumulated its name after it spread to more than 4,000 World War II Legionnaires, as well as their family and friends, which all gathered to participate in the 58th American Legion's convention in Philadelphia, about 600 of whom were staying at the hotel this convention was being held at. The day after the convention was being hosted, a great number of the people began feeling ill. No one began to think anything of it, because the symptoms were beginning to be very similar to any other stomach flu. It wasn’t until the American Legionnaires started dying of an illness no one could figure out what was, that endless tests were completed, and Medical specialists came to a conclusion that a bacteria, Legionella, was spreading through the air conditioning vents in the convention hotel. (Legionnaires disease: A history if its discovery). This non contagious infection enters the body through contaminated bacteria into water vapor that we breathe in, affecting the bronchial tubes, and lungs. Legionnaires disease was then given it’s name in 1976, after it killed 34 people from the convention in Philadelphia.
Recent research shows that, there are three major means by which infections can be transmitted and they include direct transmission, indirect transmission and airborne transmission (Hinman,Wasserheit and Kamb,1995). Direct transmission occurs when the physical contact between an infected person and s susceptible person takes place (division of public health, 2011). An example is a health care worker who attends to an Ebola patient, without gloves, gown and mask plus forget to wash his or her hand with soap and hot water and or a person having flu without the use of mask or washes his hand after sneezing easily passes the infection to the other through hand shake or surface touch, living the bacteria there for another vulnerable person to also touch if the surface is not disinfected with bleach. Studies makes it clear that, the spreads takes effect when disease-causing microorganisms pass from the infected person to the healthy person through direct physical contact such as touching of blood, body fluids, contact with oral secretion, bites kissing, contact with body lesions and even sexual contact. However, measles and chicken pox are said to be conditions spread by direct
...f infections acquired during the hospital. Many of these studies have indicated that these infection control interventions will decrease the number of sick or dying patients related to hospital acquired infections and lower the medical cost by decreasing the stay of each patient in the hospital.
By being vaccinated, the person is not only helping themselves but others around them too. Vaccines are an important tool for preventing disease and should be mandatory for all people. Childhood vaccines protect children from a variety of serious or possibly fatal diseases, including diphtheria, measles, meningitis, polio, tetanus, and whooping cough (Clinic Staff). By vaccinating children against diseases, it helps children grow into strong, healthy adults. Today, children in the United States continuously get vaccines that protect them from more than a dozen diseases (Childhood Immunization).
A child’s immune system does not fully develop until about five years old (McMillan, Jane Sheppard) yet, children are bombarded with multiple vaccines such as five doses of DTap
(Jane C Finlay, Noni E MacDonald, 2001). Working with Vaccine -hesitant parents. Canadian Paediatric Society. Retrieved May 3, 2013, from http://www.cps.ca
While vaccines will help each individual, it will also contribute to the future health of the generations to come. In the US, vaccines have reduced or eliminated many infectious diseases that once routinely killed or harmed many infants, children, and adults. That effect is greatly caused by the fact that more and more people are choosing to get vaccinated. Vaccines have eradicated Polio and smallpox along with other diseases. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1948; the last case in the world was 1977 in Somalia. Due to these eradicated diseases, there is no need to vaccinate against them. However, keeping up with the latest vaccinations, decreases the risks of those diseases to ever reappear. The CDC notes that many vaccine-preventable diseases are still in the United States or "only a plane ride away." Although the paralytic form of polio has largely disappeared thanks to vaccination, the virus still exists in countries like Pakistan(“ProCon.org".) Those who choose not to vaccinate are not only risking their lives but the lives of their young children and the elderly. There are some people who are not able to get vaccinated, due to specific medical conditions or age. These people rely heavily on “herd immunity”. Herd immunity means that when a "critical portion" of a population is vaccinated against a contagious disease, it
There are 5 main pathways of environmental transmission of pathogens. Those are air-borne, food-borne, water-borne, vector-borne and blood-borne. Air-borne transmission refers to any disease that is caused by a pathogen and transmitted through the air. These pathogens can be spread by coughing, sneezing, stirring dust, liquid spraying, or generally any activity that generate aerosol particles or droplets. These pathogens can include viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Some common examples of pathogens that are spread via air-borne transmission are rhinovirus, hantavirus, adenovirus, and influenza, among many others (cdc.gov).
The history of vaccine started with the spread of smallpox disease. Smallpox was a contagious disease and, it was spreading fast leaving permanent scars on patients' faces or worse taking their lives. At the time, there were several attempt to treat and prevent smallpox, but Edward Jenner had the greatest rule in eliminating smallpox.“Jenner's work represented the first scientific attempt to control an infectious disease by the deliberate use of vaccination”. ( “Conclusion” 1,2). Nowadays, Statistics show significant reduction in the cases of infectious diseases after the widespread of vaccination. There were annually 63,000 cases of Pneumococcal among children in the United States. After the beginning of vaccination, the cases redu...
In Australia in the last ten years more then 137 known people have died and many more fallen very ill from contagious and infectious disease. Diseases such as diphtheria; tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps rubella and Haemophilus influenzae, This is a great tragedy considering all these diseases are easily preventable by immunisation.