Communicable diseases can be defined as illnesses caused by infectious agents that can be spread from infected individuals or animals to hosts through a wide variety of ways such as direct contact or contact through a vector or environment. Even though communicable diseases can affect individuals of all ages, children are most susceptible to them due to their increased exposure to sources and routes of disease transmission.
The following communicable diseases are associated with my local community: gonorrhea, syphilis, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, staphylococcus, hepatitis A, Norwalk virus, and Salmonella among others (Miami County, 2017). It should be mentioned that there are more than 70 diseases that have to be reported to properly evaluate measures for disease prevention and control in the community (Miami County, 2017).
Health workers are cognizant of the fact that marginalized social groups are most likely to be affected by these diseases. Therefore, healthcare professionals play an important role in targeting communicable diseases with effective interventions. Primary prevention measures developed with the help of reliable clinical data take place at the pre-pathogenesis stage, thereby helping to avoid infection. Secondary measures are implemented at the early stages of a disease progression, which helps to preserve host cells and tissues as well as to avoid epidemic or endemic patterns of a disease or condition (Maurer & Smith, 2016). Health specialists in my community also resort to tertiary prevention strategies to minimize damaging complications of communicable diseases. It is important to understand that effective control of communicable diseases relies on the effectiveness of the community surveillance function, which is a part of the national disease surveillance system.
References
Maurer, F., & Smith, C. (2014). Community/public health nursing practice: Health for families and populations. London, England: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Miami County. (2017). Monthly infectious disease report: Miami County.