Local, State, National, and Global Communicable Disease Group Trends
While the treatment of HIV, gonorrhea, and syphilis is feasible only with therapy and antibiotics, measles, pertussis, and smallpox require a different approach, such as immunization. The broad implementation of vaccines has historically curbed the spread of communicable diseases if a vaccine exists. A study conducted by Panhuis et al. (2013) estimates that nationwide, on the assumption that the decline is linked with vaccination, “a total of 103.1 million cases of these contagious diseases have been prevented since 1924” (para.13). While the study does not provide local information due to a lack of accessible historical data, state-level reports show a drop in disease incidence, effectively contributing to nationwide statistics.
With vaccination lowering risks for epidemics and spread of disease, the public opinion when not faced with consequences doubts the need for immunization, effectively bringing incidence rates for contagious infections such as pertussis up. Pertussis, measles, and rubella have shown a resurgence in disease incidence, with the latest USA pertussis epidemic happening in 2012, which had been linked with a disruption in herd immunity (Panhuis et al., 2013). The most at-risk population groups were minority ethnic groups, with children unvaccinated due to a lack of access to healthcare. Change of residence, contact with similar unvaccinated individuals, or any contact with disease triggered its spread, leading to higher numbers of those infected.
Investigating communicable diseases of interest in Miami
The climate of the US state of Florida provides favorable conditions for the spread of insect-transmitted diseases, such as dengue. Other conditions, such as Miami being a high-transit zone (Miami International Airport) and historical predisposition to the spread of disease within the region create a high probability of widespread and efficient infection (Robert et al., 2016). One of the conditions affecting treatment and disease containment is the difficulty in tracking dengue outbreaks, with most cases evading healthcare facilities. Onsets of dengue remain hard to treat, additionally, in part due to specifications of the city of Miami, where quiet treatment of outbreaks is not possible, and the elimination of mosquito infestations is not always feasible.
Miami also had recorded instances of Chikungunya due to its close geographical position to the Caribbean and Latin America where the mosquito-transmitted virus is more commonplace. Sicknesses such as malaria and encephalitis have also been expanding geographically, creating a future possibility of them becoming prevalent in Miami (Rey, 2014). While communicative illnesses such as measles retain necessity of treatment, containment, and study, due to the climate specifications of the state of Florida and geopolitical situation of the city of Miami insect-transmitted diseases remain prominent. All of the ailments mentioned above have a high probability of thriving in the conditions of the region, and hence require a more specialized approach in a susceptible area.
Bioterrorism and its impact on the healthcare community
Despite the eradication of a natural occurring smallpox virus, it remains among numerous other bioterrorist weapons, on par with threats such as anthrax and botulism. The common factor among all three is the rate at which they can be spread undiscovered, with botulism toxins and anthrax spores becoming virtually undetectable in food. The unique historical conditions of smallpox have also created a society unvaccinated and hence susceptible to it, while smallpox remains a disease with a high mortality rate. While the symptoms of smallpox are widely known and are easily visible, inhalation anthrax and botulism can be presented as expressions of flu and fever, effectively making them harder to diagnose and more dangerous. Unprepared doctors and nurses may not adequately treat patients exhibiting such symptoms, and may even contribute to the continuing spread of infection.
The role of healthcare professionals in detecting bioterrorist attacks, as well as curbing public panic and treating possible victims, remains irrefutable. Using the experience of the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Nesami and Aghaei (2013) show in their research the change in nurse preparedness levels before and after a formal bioterrorism treatment education. As well as an increased level of identification of bioterrorism victims, the study recorded “a positive effect on nurses’ knowledge and attitudes” (Nesami & Aghaei, 2013, para.9). A rise in the individual factors mentioned above could also lead to a growth in nurse confidence and willingness to volunteer for treatment of such cases, creating professionals ready to combat possible attacks.
References
Nesami, M., & Aghaei, N. (2013). Bioterrorism education effect on knowledge and attitudes of nurses. Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock, 6(2), 78-82. Web.
Panhuis, W.V., Grefenstette, J., Jung, S., Chok, N., Cross, A., Eng, H., … Burke D.S. (2013). Contagious diseases in the United States from 1888 to the present. New England Journal of Medicine, 369(22), 2152-2158. Web.
Rey, J. (2014). Dengue in Florida (USA). Insects, 5(4), 991-1000. Web.
Robert, M., Christofferson, R., Silva, N., Vasquez, C., Mores, C., & Wearing, H. (2016). Modeling mosquito-borne disease spread in U.S. urbanized areas: The case of dengue in Miami. PLOS, 11(8), e0161365. Web.