Analysis of Communicable Disease: Epidemiology & Public Health Nurse

This report provides an in-depth analysis of influenza as a communicable respiratory disease, covering its causes, modes of transmission, symptoms, treatment, and potential complications. It discusses the demographic groups most affected, including incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality rates, with a focus on the United States. The report identifies key determinants of health influencing the disease, such as age, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors, and examines the epidemiologic triad of host, agent, and environment. Furthermore, it highlights the critical role of public health nurses in disease prevention, health education, data collection, analysis, and community advocacy, emphasizing their contributions to early screening, health promotion, and collaboration with government bodies. The report concludes by underscoring the importance of public health interventions and the ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of influenza.

Running head: COMMUNICABLE DISEASE
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE
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Introduction
With the global burden of disease, the communicable respiratory infection has gained
increased attention in the field of public health research. Influenza or flu is one such
communicable respiratory infection that affected more thousands of individuals every year. The
common symptoms of the flu exhibited by the population include muscle and joint pain,
headache, runny nose, high fever, breathlessness and fatigued. The common causative agent is
the Influenza virus, a virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family (Sah et al., 2019). In the United
States, the burden of flu has placed a substantial burden on the United States, accounting for
140,000 – 810,000 hospitalization and 61000 deaths every year since 2010. This statistical data
highlighted a need for developing comprehensive policies. This essay aims to provide an in-
depth analysis of including causes, mode of transmission, symptoms, treatment and
complications, epidemiological research, determinants of health and role of public health nurses
in relation to the disease in following paragraphs.
Discussion
Description of the disease:
Influenza, also called the flu", is an infectious respiratory disease initiated by an
influenza virus and belong to Orthomyxoviridae. Dalziel et al. (2018), influenza can spread
through the air and travel a short distance. Considering transmission, Influenza virus may
be transferred amongst humans in 3 ways such as direct interaction with infected persons;
contact with contaminated substances such as toys, doorknob and through inhaling virus-laden
aerosols. Children, older individuals and women are at high risk of emerging the disease. On the

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other hand, Reich et al. (2019), suggested that residents of a nursing home in the long term care,
the patients with immune suppressive drugs or weak immune systems are at high risk of
emerging the disease. The virus usually inflects lungs, nose and throat of the individuals and
multiply within 1 week of the exposure. The usual onset infection usually observed within 1 day
of exposure (Dalziel et al., 2018). The common clinical manifestations of the flu include fever,
chills, runny nose, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, watering eye and redness. The children often
experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, and body ache. Considering the diagnosis of the infection,
the culture of sputum from the nose, throat are usually used for diagnosis since it can confirm the
infections (Dalziel et al., 2018). On the other hand, a polymerase chain reaction is one common
diagnosis in the hospital that can confirm the test as it is more sensitive in detecting influenza. In
order to treat influenza, antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu, Xofluza, Relenza and Rapivab are
provided so that complications can be prevented. The common vaccination for influenza is flu
shots that can protect against viral infections (Sah et al., 2019). Other non-pharmacological
measures can be drinking water, rest and pain management. Reich et al. (2019), highlighted that
common complications of influenza include pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma and heart problem.
Demographic and epidemiology:
Acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia as well as influenza, 8th leading cause of
death in the United States. The most affected demographic affected by the flu include North
America, northern Africa, West Africa. Considering the statistics of USA, in 2019, flu was
widespread in 30 states of the United States, accounting for 2000 deaths and 41000
hospitalizations (Www.cdc.gov., 2020). A recent report of the CDC suggested that
approximately 38 million infectious patients and 390000 hospitalization and approximately
23000 deaths were conducted by influenza (Www.cdc.gov., 2020). Considering the incidence of

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the USA, a predictable incidence of about 8% which varies from 3% to 11% in 2019, accounting
for 54%–70% of hospitalizations as well as 71%–85% of demises amongst the population aged
65 years or more than 65 years. In 2015 to 2016, the respiratory infection associated with death
in the USA was 12000-56000 (Www.cdc.gov. 2020).
Determinants of health affecting this disease and epidemiologic triad:
As discussed by Reich et al. (2019), common determinants of health for influenza
infection or flu include age, gender, culture and ethnicity. Age is considered as the health
determinants as the young population over 65 years are at high risk of emerging the disease. On
the other hand, the population from low socioeconomic status are at high risk since poverty and
lack of education hinder them to seek health care services. Population from low socioeconomic
status have limited access to the sanitation, water and food which hindered them to proper
respiratory hygiene and hand hygiene. Dalziel et al. (2018), suggested that they tend to live in
the overcrowded area with frequent tobacco smoking which makes them susceptible to flu
compared to the population from high socioeconomic status.
While four strains of influenza are naturally occurring, three strains have the ability to
infect to human such as A, B, C. It is considered as RNA virus that can undergo genetic shift and
drift to infect human (Www.cdc.gov. 2020). Influenza A viruses can infect a wide range of host
species such as chicken, swine and human, goats and cattle. However, Influenza A and B can
infect cattle, goats and pigs. A common environmental factor that influences flu includes air,
humidity, UV radiation, precipitation (Dalziel et al., 2018). Absolute humidity affects the growth
of influenza whereas drier conditions advances survival of the influenza virus. However, high

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temperatures, absolute humidity positively impact influenza (Dalziel et al., 2018). Climate, stress
and diet also impact the development of the disease.
Role of public health nurses:
The public health nurses play a severe role in disease prevention, health education, and
treatment as well as vaccination. According to healthy people 2020, the public health
professionals, especially nurses saved 33,000 lives as well as saved $33.4 billion in indirect
costs. Public health nurse plays a crucial role in educating patients regarding sanitization, hand
hygiene, vaccination maintaining distance with healthy family members
(Www.healthypeople.gov., 2020). They frequently involve in health promotion for early
screening, detecting and providing adequate education to the community. They often involve in
the research regarding the advance treatment of influenza. The public health nurses promote
collaborative practice by collaborating with the community members and the government to
identify the strength of the community along with developing empowering environment
(Www.healthypeople.gov., 2020). They also involve in advocacy for the free or low-cost
vaccination of flu so that population belong to a socially disadvantageous area with low
socioeconomic status can receive the vaccination.
The public health nurse involved in finding, collection and analysis of data mostly
through health promotional within the community (Www.healthypeople.gov., 2020). The data
collection and findings are done by nurses through direct surveillance and interviews. Public
health nurses conduct interviews and early screening on the sensitive subjects within the
community during the possibility of an outbreak of flu in order to investigate (Clark, 2015). . On
the other hand, passive surveillance can be done through incidence rate, prevalence rate and
morbidity assessment. Public health nurses involved in reporting by informing the local

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governing bodies and community health care so that flu can be mitigated (Clark, 2015). They
involve in the analysis through sample collecting sensitive and suspecting subjects. Public health
nurses frequently involved in the advocacy for the funding from the federal and local
government so that outbreak can be mitigated.
Conclusion
On a concluding note, it can be said that flu is a communicable respiratory infection
caused by an influenza virus and belong to Orthomyxoviridae. The virus usually infects the
lungs, nose and throat of the individuals and multiply within 1 week of the exposure. The usual
onset infection usually observed within 1 day of exposure. The common clinical manifestations
of the flu include fever, chills, runny nose, and redness. The common diagnosis is culture sputum
from throat, nose and common treatment is an antiviral drug with flu shots. The common
determinants of health are poverty, low sanitation and overcrowded housing. The public health
nurses play a crucial role in this case by involving in the investigation and providing education to
the community.

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References:
Clark, M. J. (2015). Population and community health nursing (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Dalziel, B. D., Kissler, S., Gog, J. R., Viboud, C., Bjørnstad, O. N., Metcalf, C. J. E., & Grenfell,
B. T. (2018). Urbanization and humidity shape the intensity of influenza epidemics in US
cities. Science, 362(6410), 75-79.
Reich, N. G., Brooks, L. C., Fox, S. J., Kandula, S., McGowan, C. J., Moore, E., ... &
Biggerstaff, M. (2019). A collaborative multiyear, multimodel assessment of seasonal
influenza forecasting in the United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 116(8), 3146-3154.
Sah, P., Medlock, J., Fitzpatrick, M. C., Singer, B. H., & Galvani, A. P. (2018). Optimizing the
impact of low-efficacy influenza vaccines. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 115(20), 5151-5156.
Www.cdc.gov. (2020). Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report (FluView). Retrieved 27
March 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm
Www.healthypeople.gov. (2020). 2020 Topics and Objectives – Objectives A–Z | Healthy
People 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020, from
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives