Understanding Infectious Disease Transmission

This assignment delves into the intricate process of infectious disease transmission, exploring key concepts such as the spread of pathogens from one host to another, entry points (portals of entry) into new hosts, and susceptible populations. It emphasizes the importance of 'Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette', providing a six-step guide for minimizing the risk of infection spread.

Running head: INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note:

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
Contents
1. Examples of good personal hygiene practices:...................................................................2
2. Risk ranking, Severity of harm and Likelihood of risks:....................................................3
3. Procedures for terminally cleaning of the hospital room:...................................................4
4. High Risk patients:..............................................................................................................4
5. Definitions:.........................................................................................................................4
6. Routes/Modes of Transmission:.........................................................................................5
6.1 Contact:............................................................................................................................5
6.2 Droplet:............................................................................................................................5
6.3 Airborne:..........................................................................................................................5
6.4 Vehicle (borne transmission):..........................................................................................5
6.5 Vector Borne:...................................................................................................................6
7. Bacteria, Fungi and Virus:..................................................................................................6
8. Chain of Infection:..............................................................................................................6
8.1 Pathogen:..........................................................................................................................6
8.2 Reservoir:.........................................................................................................................7
8.3 Portal of Exit:...................................................................................................................7
8.4 Transmission:...................................................................................................................7
8.5 Portal of Entry:.................................................................................................................7
8.6 Susceptible Hosts:............................................................................................................7
9.Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette:.............................................................................7

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
Reference:..................................................................................................................................9
1. Examples of good personal hygiene practices:
The Department of Health, Australia, lists certain habits to maintain good personal
hygiene as follows:
 Regular washing of body when water is insufficient.
 Washing the body with sponge or wet cloth or a swim, when there is a shortage of
water.
 Cleaning and brushing of teeth every day and hair at least once every week.
 Washing of hands using soap after using the toilet and prior to making or after
consumption of food (Pittet, Boyce and Allegranzi, 2017).
 Wearing clean cloths, washing dirty cloths, and drying wet cloths in the sun.
 Covering the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing (Swan, 2017).

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
1. Risk ranking, Severity of harm and Likelihood of risks:
Infection/
Hazard
Risk rating Severity of
Harm
Likelihood Immediate
Actions
Risk
Management
Procedures
2.1 Needle
Stick injury
3 Negligible Moderate Caution while
handling
needles
Using
sterilized
needles.
2.2 Blood spill
on the corridor
2 Low Negligible Cleaning of
the corridor
with
antiseptics.
Care while
handling
blood bags, or
blood samples.
2.3 Exposure
to Blood/ body
fluids
12 Major Moderate Assessment of
any pathogens
that might be
transmitted.
Maintaining
proper
sanitation and
hygiene
2.4
Contamination
of materials,
equipment and
instruments by
aerosol,
splatter in an
active TB
client’s
20 High Major Terminal
cleaning of the
room after
discharge.
Ensuring
equipments
are properly
covered, and
cleaned.

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
hospital room.
2. Procedures for terminally cleaning of the hospital room:
The following procedures can be undertaken to terminally clean the hospital room:
 Cleaning of the items in the room using hospital grade, EPA approved disinfectant
(Rutala, and Weber, 2014).
 For bathroom, the highest surfaces must be cleaned first and the toilet cleaned last.
 Privacy curtains needs to be double packed. The person collecting the laundry bag
should wear protective gloves.
 Cleaning of ceiling or walls or window curtains.
 Cleaning and disinfection of clinical equipment.
 Once the room is cleaned, the gloves should be removed and its outer surface should
not be touched.
 Hands should be cleaned before and after using new gloves using antimicrobial soap
or rubbing with alcohol (Carling, 2017).
3. High Risk patients:
Patients suffering from HIV: These patients due to the immune compromised state like
HIV.
Children, infants and Elderly since their immune systems might not be fully functional.
Healthcare Professionals/ Health Workers are at an increased risk of infection due to
their regular exposure to pathogen.
Drug abusers who periodically use hypodermic needles.

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
4. Definitions:
a. Colonization: Is a situation in which the germs/ pathogen are living in or on the body
of a person but have not caused any disease symptoms.
b. Infection: Is a situation when the pathogen/ germs have invaded the body, causing
infection and the onset of symptoms like fever, high WBC count, pus or pneumonia.
c. Disease: It is a situation in which there is a disorder in the normal structure or
function of the body and exhibits specific symptoms or affecting particular locations
and is not the result of any injury.
5. Routes/Modes of Transmission:
6.1 Contact:
Here the infection needs a form of touch (direct/ indirect). In direct contact involves
physical contact with the infected individual. Indirect contact involves touching an object
(Fomite) that is already contaminated by an infected individual. Example: Ebola, Small Pox
and Influenza (Gabbard et al., 2014).
6.2 Droplet:
The pathogen released from the upper respiratory system because of sneezing,
coughing or talking, contained in droplets of moisture, causing disease. Example
Tuberculosis and Influenza (Zhang et al., 2013).
6.3 Airborne:
Here the pathogens are spread in the air, via tiny droplets (expelled while coughing.
Sneezing or talking) containing the pathogen. Example: Measles. (Liu et al., 2017).

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
6.4 Vehicle (borne transmission):
A vehicle, which is a non living object or material (also called “formite”), is
contaminated with the pathogen, and infection occurs when a person gets in contact with the
formite. Example: Giardia, Cholera.
6.5 Vector Borne:
In this form the pathogen is transmitted from one person to another by the means of a
vector, which are living organisms. In this case, the pathogen generally remains non infective
to the vector, and needs the vector to complete a part of its life cycle. Example: Diseases
spread by mosquitoes (WHO, 2014).
6. Bacteria, Fungi and Virus:
Bacterium are a prokaryotic (without a nucleus), unicellular, microscopic organisms.
They generally exist in the shape of spheres, rods and spirals, and are one of the most
primitive forms of life on earth. Example: Eschericia coli.
Fungi are eukaryotic (with a true nucleus) organisms, and can be microscopic (like
yeasts) or macroscopic (like mushroom). They are heterotrophic like animals, and do not
perform photosynthesis. Example: Aspergillus sp.
Virus is a group of microscopic infectious agents that performs the activities of living
organism only when inside a host. The virus hijacks the host’s metabolic mechanisms, and
uses it to replicate its genetic material, and create more viruses. Example Human
Immunodeficiency Virus.

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
7. Chain of Infection:
8.1 Pathogen:
This is the infectious agent that invades a healthy organism, multiplies within it, and
produces symptoms of disease. Example Salmonella sp
8.2 Reservoir:
This is an intermediate host for a pathogen. The pathogens do not produce disease
symptoms inside the reservoir, but uses it to overcome adverse environmental conditions, or
between infecting two hosts. Example: Bats/ foxes/ raccoons act as reservoirs for Rabies.
8.3 Portal of Exit:
Is the place from which the pathogen leaves an infected host to enter a new host?
Example nose or mouth for the exit of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
8.4 Transmission:
Is the process of the spread of the pathogen from one host to another, directly or
indirectly. Example spread of Malaria or Other infectious diseases.
8.5 Portal of Entry:
Is the place from which the pathogen enters a new host, after leaving the old host.
Example- the mouth, for the entry for pathogen causing enteric diseases.
8.6 Susceptible Hosts:
Are the individuals (member of the population) who have the risk of being infected by
the pathogen. Example: People with Immunodeficiency.

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
9.Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette:
The National Health and Medical Research Council lists the following six steps to
maintain respiratory hygiene and cough etiquettes:
 Covering the mouth/nose using single use, disposable tissue napkins when sneezing,
coughing, blowing nose or wiping.
 Using the tissue to contain secretions from respiratory system.
 Disposing the tissue safely after use.
 If tissue is not available, use the inner elbow to sneeze or cough, instead of the hand.
 After contact with respiratory contaminants, secretions and materials, hands must be
washed properly.
 Keeping contaminated hands away from mucosa of the eyes or nose.
(Song and Yang, 2016)

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INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL POLICIES
Reference:
Carling, P.C., Kleancheck Systems, Llc, 2017. Monitoring Cleaning of Surfaces. U.S. Patent
Application 15/449,386.
Gabbard, J.D., Dlugolenski, D., Van Riel, D., Marshall, N., Galloway, S.E., Howerth, E.W.,
Campbell, P.J., Jones, C., Johnson, S., Byrd-Leotis, L. and Steinhauer, D.A., 2014. Novel
H7N9 influenza virus shows low infectious dose, high growth rate, and efficient contact
transmission in the guinea pig model. Journal of virology, 88(3), pp.1502-1512.
Liu, L., Li, Y., Nielsen, P.V., Wei, J. and Jensen, R.L., 2017. Short‐range airborne
transmission of expiratory droplets between two people. Indoor air, 27(2), pp.452-462.
Pittet, D., Boyce, J.M. and Allegranzi, B. eds., 2017. Hand Hygiene: A Handbook for
Medical Professionals (Vol. 9). John Wiley & Sons.
Rutala, W.A. and Weber, D.J., 2014. Selection of the ideal disinfectant. Infection Control &
Hospital Epidemiology, 35(7), pp.855-865.
Song, M. and Yang, N., 2016. High School Students’ Knowledge and Practice of Respiratory
Hygiene/Cough Etiquette following Education. Pp 20-22
Swan, J., 2017. Influenza: Seasonal Flu 2017–2018. Pp 15
World Health Organization, 2014. Vector-borne diseases.
Zhang, Q., Shi, J., Deng, G., Guo, J., Zeng, X., He, X., Kong, H., Gu, C., Li, X., Liu, J. and
Wang, G., 2013. H7N9 influenza viruses are transmissible in ferrets by respiratory
droplet. Science, 341(6144), pp.410-414.