Introduction
Today’s population records infectious diseases as the utmost killer presenting the greatest challenge to the global community. Governments in collaboration with health-based organizations are investing numerous resources in mitigating the spread and re-emergence of contagious illnesses. This paper seeks to explore one of the re-emerging infectious diseases the world is facing. Tuberculosis (TB) is a re-emerging infectious disease affecting the world’s population.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Typically, the illness attacks the lungs, but sometimes it may affect other body parts, including the kidney, spine, and brain. All persons contracting tuberculosis may not become sick, resulting in two types of tuberculosis disorders that include latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advocate for prompt treatment of the condition. Hence, persons diagnosed with tuberculosis should seek urgent medication.
Signs and Symptoms of Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is associated with various signs and symptoms based on the part of the body in which the bacteria is growing. The first common symptom of the disease includes severe cough, lasting for at least three weeks. TB also causes chest pain, which sometimes can result in difficulties in breathing or coughing blood or mucus (Shapiro et al., 2020). Patients suffering from these illnesses also experience loss of appetite, fever, fatigue, as well as night sweats. People with LTBI do not fall sick, and they cannot affect other individuals with the infection.
The diagnosis procedure for tuberculosis entails a physical examination of the body. A physician begins the process by inspecting the presence of swelling in the lymph nodes, followed by listening to the sound of the lungs while breathing using a stethoscope, and recommends further needs for testing the disease. The Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) undertaken by inserting a small portion of tuberculin into the skin is the commonly known test of the illness (Warsinske, Vashisht & Khatri, 2019). The results of the examination usually take between 48 to 72 hours to be confirmed. Other procedures used to diagnose TB include a blood test, chest scans, as well as sputum tests.
Factors Contributing to the Re-emergence of Tuberculosis
A number of factors cause the increasing rate and re-emergence of tuberculosis across the world. The global demography is one of the risk factors contributing to this trend in the rate of TB. Growth in the world’s population and prolonged longevity increase the chances for the re-emergence of the disease as people become more densely populated. Another factor is the spread of HIV/AIDs among individuals. Patients who have HIV are at a higher risk of contracting tuberculosis (Borgdorff & Van Soolingen, 2013). Thus, as the world records a rise in HIV/AIDs, the rate of TB infection is also likely to increase. Social injustice is also a significant factor contributing to the re-emergence of tuberculosis. Poor communities, as well as countries, are often attacked by many contagious infections, including TB, due to things like overcrowding, malnutrition, or inadequate health infrastructure. Thus, addressing these issues is significant in preventing the further spread of the disease.
Strategies to Prevent Reoccurrence of Tuberculosis
The severe effects of tuberculosis are worrying to the world population, raising the need for the implementation of preventive measures. This is in line with the goals of healthy people 2020 to decrease tuberculosis. Healthy people 2020 aims to reduce TB infection from 20.4/100,000 people to 14/100,000 people (ODPHP, n.d.). Efforts to prevent the spread of tuberculosis take a number of measures. The first strategy to deter the further spread of the disease requires the responsible stakeholders to identify and treat persons suffering from active TB. Upon administering tuberculosis treatment to a diagnosed patient, the individual becomes TB-free and cannot infect other people. Another measure to mitigate the infection includes creating awareness among populations and informing them of the importance of coughing etiquette. Running campaigns and implementing HIV/AIDs prevention measures is a significant strategy to reducing tuberculosis (Borgdorff & Van Soolingen (2013). THE World Health Organization (WHO) provides the Infection Control Guideline for tuberculosis by recommending that governments implement sensitization programs among citizens to reduce the spread of the disease (WHO, 2019). The guidelines further advocate for prompt diagnosis and treatment of TB patients as a key initiative to eradicating its spread. Therefore, early treatment and mitigation of HIV are significant in reducing TB.
CDC Priority for Public Health Response to Tuberculosis
CDC prioritizes various public health responses to tuberculosis to contribute to the prevention of the disease. Some of the CDC prioritization include drafting and documentation of a global plan and policy for tuberculosis, surveillance, control efforts, and provision of training and education on the disease (CDC, 2020). CDC also prioritizes collaboration among health providers, communities, and academic partners as well as governments to mitigate the infection.
Personal thoughts and role as a Community Health Nurse
The emerging antibiotic-resistant microorganism is worrying to global health. Such microorganisms are likely to affect the world’s population causing millions of deaths or patients experiencing side effects of the infection. As a community health nurse, it is important to embrace strategies to eradicate the spread of infectious diseases.
Research Studies Validating the Information
The research studies validating the information presented in this paper are:
Borgdorff, M. W., & Van Soolingen, D. (2013). The re-emergence of tuberculosis: what have we learnt from molecular epidemiology? Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 19(10), 889-901. Web.
Shapiro, A. E., Ross, J. M., Schiller, I., Kohli, M., Dendukuri, N., Steingart, K. R., & Horne, D. J. (2020). Xpert MTB/RIF and Xpert Ultra assays for pulmonary tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance in adults irrespective of signs or symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (7). Web.
Warsinske, H., Vashisht, R., & Khatri, P. (2019). Host-response-based gene signatures for tuberculosis diagnosis: A systematic comparison of 16 signatures. PLoS medicine, 16(4), e1002786. Web.
Conclusion
Tuberculosis is a major infectious disease that affected the world today. The condition is associated with various symptoms that include lung pains, prolonged coughing, and loss of appetite, among others. Measures to prevent tuberculosis include prompt treatment, educating the masses, and prevention of HIV/AIDs. Persons diagnosed with tuberculosis should seek urgent medication to deter its spread to other people.
References
CDC. (2020). Essential Components of a Public Health Tuberculosis Prevention, Control, and Elimination Program: Recommendations of the Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis and the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association.
ODPHP. (n.d.). Global Health. Global Health | Healthy People 2020. Web.