A transmittable disease pertains to contagious diseases induced by various microorganisms. Moreover, minute organisms passed from one person to another, either indirectly or directly, include fungi, parasites, viruses, and bacteria (Chee, 2018). However, some of these infectious diseases are spread by insect bites, while others are triggered by swallowing contaminated drinks or food. Even though there are numerous infectious illnesses, this paper will encompass TB integration to epidemiology and nursing research methods.
Tuberculosis Description
Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious airborne illness caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spread via the air. When someone spits, coughs, laughs, talks, or sneezes, the germs may be transported from one person to another via the air. The bacteria are most often found in the lungs, although they may also be found in other organs. Despite the fact that tuberculosis is infectious, it is not simple to acquire.
Causes of Tuberculosis
Similar to other infections, Bacteria within the ecosystem cause tuberculosis. The serious airborne illness is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spreading through the air (Murray, 2018). When someone sneezes, laughs, spits, or coughs, the germs can be transported from one person to another through the air. The bacteria are most commonly found in the lungs, although they can also be found in other organs in the respiratory system. Despite the fact tuberculosis is infectious, it is not simple to contract.
Symptoms of Tuberculosis
As with any other infectious disease, TB exhibits specific signs and symptoms that help distinguish it from other illnesses. These symptoms are characterized by blood coughing, fever, weariness, night sweats, and persistent coughing lasting three weeks or more. Additionally, appetite loss, chest discomfort, chills, coughing or breathing, and unintended weight loss are common. Apart from the lung, TB also affects the kidneys, brain, and spine. When TB spreads outside the respiratory system, the resulting signs and symptoms vary significantly according to the organs affected. In particular, tuberculosis of the spine might manifest as back discomfort, but TB of the kidneys manifests as blood in the urine.
The Mode of Transmission
The infection is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, passed from an infected person to a vulnerable person by a droplet of airborne nuclei food of diameter of around 1–5 microns. These infectious droplet nuclei are microscopic water droplets containing germs released when TB of the lungs or larynx laughs or sneeze (Murray, 2018). When these particles are released into the air, the small droplet nuclei remain suspended for several hours. Thus, transmission happens when a person inhales these droplet nuclei, which contain TB bacteria. When breathed, these droplets travel through the mouth or nasal passages to the upper respiratory system. Further, these droplets then go to the bronchi and eventually to the lungs and alveoli, where the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects them.
Treatment
Tuberculosis vaccination is a key intervention in combating the menacing infection. Thus, the vaccine used is BCG; it protects children and infants in locations where the illness is common (Murray, 2018). Vaccinated kids have a lower risk of severe TB. Although ineffective in adult populations, the BCG vaccine is not widely recommended in the United States; TB treatment is still medication-based. The therapeutic intervention technique is long (Murray, 2018). When patients have active TB, they must take antibiotics for six to nine months. The type of medication used and the duration of therapy are determined by the infection’s location, drug resistance, patient age, and overall health. Where TB is inactive, only one or two forms of tuberculosis medications are recommended. In addition, patients with active TB, which an antibiotic-resistant strain may cause, must take numerous drugs simultaneously. TB drugs most often include ethambutol, pyrazinamide, rifampin, and isoniazid. Thence, in the case of drug resistance to TB, a mix of fluoroquinolones and injectable medicines such as amikacin and capreomycin is advised.
Complications
TB can be fatal if not treated promptly; it can damage the lungs and extend to other body areas via the body’s circulatory stream. Hence, it can cause various health issues, for instance, spinal discomfort linked with rigidity and back problems, meningitis, ligament injuries, meningitis, arthritis of the hips and knees, and kidney and liver injury. Additionally, it might result in heart problems, such as fluid inflammation and accumulation, a condition known as cardiac tamponade.
The Demographics of Interest of Tuberculosis
The infection has thrived and manifested due to various factors and conditions. TB was formerly a rare illness in affluent nations, but infection rates rose around 1985 (Murray, 2018). The increase in incidence is partly a result of HIV, which causes AIDS. The underlying notion is that HIV impairs the body’s immune system, rendering it more difficult to combat tuberculosis pathogens. According to Allué-Guardia et al. (2021), approximately 500,000 persons developed drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) IN 2018, of which 78% were multidrug-resistant, and only one in every three diagnosed cases was engaged in treatment. TB affects a significant proportion of the adult population during their most productive years, despite all age groups being still at risk. Compared to industrialized countries, developing countries record over 95% of tuberculosis infections and fatalities (Allué-Guardia et al., 2021). HIV-infected persons have been estimated to be 20–30 times more likely to get active tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis as a Reportable Disease
TB is a reportable condition. Notifiable illnesses are deemed to be of considerable public health relevance. TB is diagnosed in the United States by federal, state, and local authorities, most notably the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, county health departments, and state health departments. Nevertheless, it is mandatory to record tuberculosis (TB) as one of the reportable illnesses if physicians or laboratories detect it.
The Social Determinants of Health for TB and their Contribution to the Development of Tuberculosis
The social determinants of health are described as the social, economic, and political circumstances in which individuals live, develop, work, and age. Generally, the circumstances are shared by distributions of money, resources, and power at all levels. These socioeconomic variables of health are at the root of population-level health disparities. In particular, the risk of contracting is highly reliant on social and risk behaviors associated with people in a crowded environment with inadequate ventilation. Hence, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can transmit when infected individuals sneeze or yawn, spreading the droplet nuclei. Inadequate accessibility to food is the second social factor.
The other social variable is tuberculosis stigma, which adds to a lack of social support from members of society and may result in medication non-adherence and poor treatment results. Fear of stigma associated with receiving a tuberculosis diagnosis is a significant element in the disease’s dissemination to other individuals. Other risk factors for tuberculosis involve smoking, alcohol usage, and diabetes mellitus. Poverty, malnutrition, and hunger are significant socioeconomic predictors of tuberculosis infection vulnerability and intensity of the medical result. For instance, when a person is malnourished or hungry, the body lacks the nutrients necessary to sustain the immune system.
The Epidemiologic Triangle of TB
An epidemiological triangle is a tool comprised of an agent, a host, and an ecosystem used to analyze the transmission of pathogens in a community and assist in determining the sites of intervention necessary to prevent transmission. The figure below summarizes the tuberculosis (TB) epidemiologic triangle.
A Figure Showing Systems Epidemiology Approach to TB
Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes TB; the pathogen is spread from person to person by droplet nuclei produced when talking, coughing, or sneezing. When these droplet nuclei remain in the air after the sick person has departed, they are highly susceptible to inhalation by others in the vicinity. By inhaling Mycobacterium tuberculosis, vulnerable individuals can readily get infected. The communal settings and public gathering form the environment. There are unsafe environments because of inadequate sanitation, homelessness, overcrowding, poor ventilation, and prisons. Furthermore, those with reduced immunity, such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer, are considered the most susceptible to Mycobacterium TB infection. Especially for healthcare staff thus, personnel are at risk for TB since they are constantly exposed to diverse patients’ ailments.
The Role of Public Health Nurses Concerning Tuberculosis
Nurses have a vital role in the treatment and follow-up of TB patients. To diagnose and treat a patient with TB, community health nurses should collaborate with the patient and other healthcare practitioners. Further, community health nurses might report cases of TB to state or local authorities, such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to assist track national trends. The provision of demographic data is fundamental to obtain information on illness prevalence in the community and among those at risk. The data is also used to track disease outbreaks and create actions to minimize illness transmission. This data may also be used to prevent future epidemics. The community health nurse’s responsibility includes promoting the lives of TB patients. The onus can be performed by monitoring patients’ adherence to prescribed fat-burning medicines.
References
Allué-Guardia, A., García, J. I., & Torrelles, J. B. (2021). Evolution of drug-resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis strains and their adaptation to the human lung environment. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, (1-21).
Chee, C. B., Reves, R., Zhang, Y., & Belknap, R. (2018). Latent tuberculosis infection: Opportunities and challenges. Respirology, 23(10), 893-900.
Jajarmi, A., Ghanbari, B., & Baleanu, D. (2019). A new and efficient numerical method for the fractional modeling and optimal control of diabetes and tuberculosis co-existence. Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 29(9), 093111.
Murray, J. F. (2018). History of tuberculosis and of warfare. In Murray J. F. & Loddenkemper R. (eds.), tuberculosis and war: Lesson learned from World War II (Vol. 43, pp. 2-19). Basel Karger Publishers.