Influenza Pandemic: Epidemiological Analysis & Border Management

This report examines the impact of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic on international borders, focusing on its origins, transmission routes, and effects on communities. It identifies infected swine as a primary source of transmission, with subsequent human-to-human spread. The report highlights th...Read More

Running head: INFLUENZA PANDEMIC IN INTERNATIONAL BORDER
Influenza pandemic in international border
Name of the student:
Name of the university
Author note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Discussion:.......................................................................................................................................3
Analysis of the epidemiological determinants and risk factors:..................................................3
The route of the transmission of the disease:...............................................................................4
Outbreak impacted the community:.............................................................................................4
Reporting protocol for the outbreak in the community:..............................................................5
Strategies for prevention of the influenza outbreak in the community:......................................6
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction:
H1N1 pandemic outbreak was first detected in the United States in 2009 which posed the
greatest pandemic threat to the courtiers placed in the international border (cdc.gov., 2018). The
centre of disease control suggested that it was Avian influenza A (H5N1) which posed greatest
threats worldwide. It was first discovered in April 15, 2009, in the United States, detected in the
10-year-old patient and widespread in the North American lineage. The study suggested that
close association of the infected pig causes infection. The outbreak was detected in the
international borders when 12 cases of human infection was reported where 5 of them were in
direct contact with the infection, six of them close to the pig and one of them were unknown.
After the declaration of a pandemic on June 11, all 50 countries were under pandemic threat. In
addition, an estimated 74 countries had reported confirmed laboratory infections in 2009. The
outbreak was found to cause increase in the rates of summer infection in northern hemisphere,
and increased activity levels during the winter months in this region of the world. Young
children, pregnant women and individuals of all age, suffering from lung cancer and
comorbidities were found to be at an increased risk of severe illness. Some of the countries
included District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Virginia Island. The widespread of the infection
also reported in San Diego and imperial country (Cdc.gov., 2018). Confirmed deaths that
occurred due to the outbreak in European union and EFTA, Africa, North America, South
America, Southeast Asia and Australia and Pacific islands were 2290, 116, 3642, 3190, 393, and
217, respectively (ECDC, 2010). The cluster of the infection also found in the high school of
Kansas which is Midwestern part of United States.

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Discussion:
Analysis of the epidemiological determinants and risk factors:
The widespread influenza infection posed threat in the different countries which was first
detected in California in 10 years old boy and the second infection was detected the130 miles
away from the location of the first infection in 8 years old patient. Centre for disease control and
prevention suggested that the epidemiological determinants of the influenza outbreak were
infected swine since 12 cases of human infection that was reported in 2009 exhibited the direct
contact with infected swine .human to human spread of swine was rarely documented but
epidemiological study showed that human to human transmission was taken place which causes
the disease (Qualls et al., 2017). The identified risk factor of associated disease was that the
viruses were resistant to two potential antiviral drugs such as amantadine and rimantadine
(Chidgzey et al., 2015). A study by Fumanelli et al. (2016), suggested that in the case of
influenza infection, potential risk factors are morbid obesity, the chronic liver disease where the
immunosuppressant were used. The children, as well as pregnant women, were at higher risk of
developing the infection caused by influenza flu (Chidgzey et al., 2015)
The route of the transmission of the disease:
As discussed by Jombart et al. (2014), the H1N1 flu infections common viral infection
that can be deadly especially for the high-risk group such as children. According to Croucher and
Didelot (2015), the flu attacks the lungs, throat, and nose of young children, older adults as well
as older adults who have a weak immune system. The route of transmission is infected person
who coughed and sneeze, they spray the tiny drops of the virus into the air. In the current context
of influenza, the route of transmission was infected swine. In the current outbreak, the reported
12 cases of human infection were taken place due to direct exposure to the infected swine in the
different part of the country (Dalziel et al., 2018). Based on the primary epidemiological data

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demonstrated that human to human transmission is identified in many cases and viruses have the
ability to cause the community-level outbreak.
Outbreak impacted the community:
Influenza places a significant socioeconomic burden on individuals, families, and society.
Influenza outbreak mostly would affect the household with young children, pregnant women as
well as individuals with chronic disease (Rodriguez-Morales et al. 2016). As reported in the
outbreak of 2009, transmission of the infection causes severe influenza-like illness and deaths in
Mexico, especially in high schools of California along with the population with chronic disease.
The pregnant women were suspected for the high risk of developing seasonal influenza. The
report suggested that 71% of hospitalized patients had one or more underlying chronic medical
conditions (cdc.gov., 2018). The reported deaths of the infection were in between 22 months to
57 years old. The hospitalization observed in the 13% of the population where individuals were
50 years or more than 50 years to 57%. Therefore, as discussed before, it would impact the
young children of the high school who would be at close contact with the infected swine (World
Health Organization., 2017). As discussed by Agoti et al. (2017), the household with larger
families are a higher risk of developing the disease. The outbreak would increase the hospital
admission, especially for the infected individual. The outbreak would hinder the schooling of
children and thereby, closing the high school would manage the impact. An outbreak would
impact local government sectors since the preventive measures would be taken to manage the
outbreak of influenza. The vulnerable population also include the lower income class of the
community who would fail to seek the health care assistant due to high health care expenditure.
Families lack adequate resources to protect their own health would be affected by the outbreak
(Dalziel et al., 2018). The health care would directly impact since the preventive cost of each
infected individual is high. A health care professional would follow the framework of mange

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and prevention of influenza outbreak, especially health professionals from the emergency
department (Dalziel et al., 2018). It would affect the local governing bodies and federal
government and governance framework, as well as policies, would be followed for limiting the
outbreak. The community would be managed by providing critical care along with flu care
nurses and practitioner as well as other health care staffs.
Reporting protocol for the outbreak in the community:
When an outbreak occurs in the community, reporting is the crucial part of the
management of the outbreak as well as the reduction of the global burden of the disease. By
following International Health Regulations (1969), the world health organization’s designed a
reporting framework for the communicable disease in the community. According to the world
health organization’s when an outbreak about to occur in the community, first reporting protocol
would be the identification of the disease that would cause a severe outbreak (World Health
Organization., 2017). After identification, it is crucial to identify who would be at higher risk of
developing the disease and their sociodemographic position, yearly income and house old
situation. Therefore, health care workers would notify to local health authority about the
communication disease that exists in the particular jurisdiction. The health care professional is
required to notify identification data, affected individuals and age group, severity level (Lo,
Mertz & Loeb, 2017). The health care professionals required to notify exposure date and time,
suspected or confirmed etiologic of the communicable disease. Furthermore, they are also
required to notice how the outbreak was identified as well as the other relevant background
information related to the disease.
Strategies for prevention of the influenza outbreak in the community:
Traditionally, influenza virus has been thought to spread from person to person primarily
through larger particle of respiratory droplet transmission. Therefore, preventing transmission of

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influenza virus and infectious agents within the health care setting requires a multifaceted
approach (World Health Organization., 2017). Two strategies can be implemented in the health
care setting for preventing the community outbreak. The first strategy would be patient education
strategy for preventing the community outbreak. In order to educate the patient, it is crucial to
provide information about influenza, route of transmission and exposure as well as who are at
higher risk of developing the disease (Perry et al., 2016). The patient education strategy also
involves initiative that would be taken by health care professionals to provide a basic education
of the use of influenza vaccines, side effects of the vaccines and who should be vaccinated. This
information would provide through arranging a session with the patients as well as family
members and the information would be written pamphlet (Agoti et al., 2017). Yozwiak ,
Schaffner and Sabeti (2016), focused on the infected children and the elder population who will
receive the education along with their family members for self-care during the period of
infection. Moreover, basic health hygiene education should be provided to the patient and family
members of the patient for managing the communicable disease.
The second education strategy would community education strategy where the
households of larger families and vulnerable individuals would receive the education about the
information relevant to the communicable disease and preventive measures and basic nutritional
sources and possible health care facilities for prevention (Groom et al., 2015). This education
strategy would be provided by community stakeholders for each household.
Conclusion:
Thus it can be concluded that the widespread influenza infection posed a threat to
international borders in 2009 which infected a number of individual in California. The suspected
route of transmission was exposure to infected swine and infected human to human contact. The

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vaccinations were provided to the patient for the managing the outbreak. The outbreak most
affects vulnerable children, pregnant women, and patients with chronic disease. The reporting
protocol would be collecting information about the infection and report it to the local authority.
After reporting, the communicable disease outbreak would be prevented by patient education and
community education.

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(2017). Transmission patterns and evolution of respiratory syncytial virus in a community
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Fumanelli, L., Ajelli, M., Merler, S., Ferguson, N. M., & Cauchemez, S. (2016). Model-based
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