Introduction
Communicable diseases can be caused by different pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. It is important that some conditions can have a hidden character; therefore, it is necessary to take preventive measures to protect the population from the development of such diseases. The purpose of this paper is to discuss three communicable illnesses that threaten the quality of life of the author’s community and discuss an action plan for preventing the further spreading of such diseases.
Epidemiological and Surveillance Data
The population under analysis is the Miami-Dade County community (Florida, ZIP Code 33155). The communicable diseases, which strongly affect the life of this population are tuberculosis, AIDS, and influenza A virus. In terms of epidemiologic and surveillance data for tuberculosis, Centers for Disease and Control prevention (2017) reported that 9421 new cases were recorded in 2014. According to the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (n.d.), its mission is to specify and “control any related public health threat”, which this dangerous condition can pose (para. 3). Regarding AIDS, more than 30 new cases per 100000 persons have been recorded. Besides, in the Miami-Dade County community, 175 individuals have been diagnosed with influenza A virus in 2016-2017. These data mean that interventions are needed to improve the well-being of this community.
Influence on Community and Reasons for their Identification
Tuberculosis
At present, tuberculosis (or Mycobacterium tuberculosis) affects the quality of life of Miami-Dade community residents rather strongly. The trigger of this disease is a rod-shaped bacterium, which belongs to actinomycetes (Maurer & Smith, 2014). The infection can be transmitted to a person in both hospital and home settings. Also, individuals can become infected by consuming milk from infected animals. There are cases when the disease has been transmitted by airborne droplets from the diseased to the healthy individual. To treat people suffering from this communicable disease, community health facilities offer an attenuated vaccine and the intake of antibiotics (Maurer & Smith, 2014). Also, the community actively fights against this condition and offers all residents to check for the presence of immunity. This disease was identified because the main vulnerable population group for this condition is homeless people who have poor access to healthcare services and cannot be diagnosed properly (Maurer & Smith, 2014). They do not receive the appropriate treatment and can infect other people, which is a potential threat to the entire community. Therefore, measures are needed to ensure that cases of tuberculosis are minimized in the Miami-Dade community.
AIDS
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is given special attention in this community since the number of HIV infected individuals did not decrease significantly in recent years. This condition was identified because at this stage of HIV infection development final destruction of the immune system occurs in the human body, and the organism loses its ability to resist any external infections (Maurer & Smith, 2014). Also, the diseased cannot resist microbes that do not trigger any diseases in people with a normal immune system. Consequently, persons with AIDS become carriers of various infections that affect not only themselves but also other members of the community since concomitant infections can be very diverse. However, not all people understand the difference between HIV infection and AIDS, which leads to stigmatization and isolation of people suffering from these conditions (Maurer & Smith, 2014). In this regard, it is necessary to raise awareness of the citizens about the ways of acquiring HIV infection and the danger of developing AIDS as well as about the preventive measures to avoid further spread of this communicable disease.
Influenza A Virus
Influenza A virus (Orthomyxoviridae family) is considered a dangerous condition due to a lack of effective treatment. The possibility of pandemic outbursts in this community is high as well as in the entire state. This virus is resistant to the action of many antiviral drugs; therefore, it is necessary to prevent the spread of this disease through proper preventive measures. Animals and birds can also become infected and act as influenza A hosts, which increases the risk of getting sick. The disease strongly affects people with asthma, diabetes, and heart problems, which can frequently be met in the residents of this community (Maurer & Smith, 2014). Since type A infection changes with time, it is difficult to develop an effective treatment for it. Because it is highly contagious, additional preventive measures are required. This disease was identified because since 2016 healthcare institutions no longer recommend the use of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). This treatment has proved to be ineffective. Therefore, at present, preventive actions solely have the potential to protect the Miami-Dade community from the influenza A virus.
Action Plan
The action plan for each disease concentrates on the objectives of Healthy People 2020 regarding preventive measures and immunization of people to avert and eliminate communicable diseases. The action plan for tuberculosis prevention is based on the objective “IID-29. Reduce tuberculosis (TB)” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017b, para. 29). The measures include:
- Encouragement of systematic screenings for vulnerable population groups;
- Susceptibility testing and latent tuberculosis screening to detect the disease at an early stage of development;
- Community engagement in education provided by nurses to ensure patients know the paths of disease transmission, the symptoms of tuberculosis, and measures to prevent and combat it.
The action plan for AIDS prevention includes steps based on “HIV-9. Reduce the proportion of persons with a diagnosis of Stage 3 HIV (AIDS) within 3 months of diagnosis of HIV infection” objective (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017a, para. 9). They are as follows:
- Ensuring early detection of individuals with active HIV infection (nurses should encourage residents to take free anonymous testing);
- Ensuring that individuals who are under threat of developing AIDS receive prophylaxis to avoid the emergence of external infections;
- Provision of community education on preventive methods (avoidance of unprotected sexual contact, intravenous drug use abstinence);
- Furnishing educational services to the community on HIV transmission methods (discussion of evidence-based facts and myths to eliminate the possibility of stigmatization).
The action plan for the prevention of influenza A virus concentrates on general measures to prevent communicable diseases. Its steps include:
- community education to raise residents’ awareness of influenza A virus (transmission paths, sources, consequences);
- provision of information on essential preventive measures (avoidance of contact with infected persons, proper hand and mouth sanitation, immunity stimulation);
- residents should be advised to receive seasonal vaccination to protect their immune system based on Healthy People 2020 objective “IID-12.12. Increase the percentage of adults aged 18 and older who are vaccinated annually against seasonal influenza” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017b, para. 12).
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that tuberculosis, AIDS, and influenza A virus are the three communicable diseases that can pose a severe threat to the well-being of the Miami-Dade community. To ensure that these illnesses are averted or detected at an early stage, it is necessary to inform the residents about the services available to them. However, more importantly, nurses should provide education to the citizens so that they are aware of the aspects of these conditions and can employ measures to protect their health.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Infectious disease.
Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County. (n.d.). TB control and prevention.
Maurer, F. A., & Smith, C. M. (2014). Community/public health nursing practice: Health for families and populations (5th ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2017a). HIV.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2017b). Immunization and infectious diseases.