HLT 605 Week 1 DQ 1

Public health practice was initially concerned with infectious and environmentally related diseases, but in recent years has evolved to focus more on injury prevention, substance abuse, violence, tobacco-related, and other chronic diseases. Present at least one pivotal legal and historical occurrence that resulted in this shift of public health effort. Justify your rationale with supportive evidence.

 

ADDITIONAL INFO 

Infectious and environmentally related diseases

Introduction

Infectious and environmentally related diseases are the most common causes of death in the world. They are caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites that enter the body through contact with an infected person or animal. The disease can be passed on to other people in a community if there is a high level of transmission (also called epidemic).

Malaria

Certain parasites are spread by mosquitoes, a group of insects that suck blood from your body. The most common type of malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite. If a person gets infected with this parasite, it can cause fever and chills (fever), headache and joint pain (headache), nausea or vomiting (nausea), diarrhea or constipation (diarrhea) and stomach pain or cramps (stomach ache).

The symptoms usually appear between two weeks to three months after exposure to an infected mosquito bite

Measles

Measles is a highly infectious viral disease that causes fever, runny nose, cough and red eyes. It’s spread by droplets from coughing or sneezing as well as direct contact with nasal secretions of infected people.

Measles can be fatal in some rare cases if it goes unnoticed or untreated. It’s especially dangerous for young children who are too young to be vaccinated against measles (whooping cough is caused by another virus).

Meningitis

Meningitis is an infection of the meninges (membranes) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is a serious disease that can cause permanent disability or death.

• The symptoms of meningitis include:

• Headache, fever, nausea and vomiting

• Seizures (convulsions) may occur in children with meningococcal septicaemia, but they’re rare in other types of meningitis

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. It’s caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi that enter your bloodstream through an open wound. Pneumonia can be serious and even life-threatening, but it’s not easy to catch—it requires direct contact with another person’s infected fluids (such as saliva).

Pneumonia symptoms include: chest pain; fever; chills; cough; fatigue; headache; rash on face or neck—and possibly shortness of breath. Treatment involves antibiotics to kill off any germs causing these symptoms, along with fluids to replenish lost blood volume in your body (which helps you breathe better). If left untreated, pneumonia can lead to death within 24 hours if left untreated!

The best way to prevent getting sick from these airborne germs is washing hands frequently just like I mentioned earlier!

Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis (TB)

TB is a bacterial infection that can affect the lungs. It is spread through the air when people cough, sneeze or spit. The disease causes symptoms such as fever and weight loss, but it can be fatal without treatment. TB can also be transmitted from an infected person to another person through a contact with infected material in the air (for example: sputum).

Although TB is not thought to be highly contagious, it’s important to prevent the spread of this infection by practicing good hygiene practices during your visits to public places like schools and hospitals; washing your hands regularly with soap after leaving home; avoiding close contact with others; avoiding smoking around family members who have been exposed to tuberculosis within recent months especially if they’ve been diagnosed recently.”

Diarrhoeal diseases

Diarrhoea is the passing of loose or watery stools more than three times a day. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites and toxins.

Diarrhoea is common in children but it’s rare for adults to experience it. It’s most common between one and five years old but can occur at any age if you have an underlying medical condition such as celiac disease (when your body cannot digest gluten), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, chronic viral hepatitis B/C, HIV/AIDS infection or tuberculosis infection

Dengue and chikungunya

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the dengue virus.

Dengue is a viral disease that causes mild illness in some people, but may develop into a more serious condition in others. The symptoms of dengue include:

• Fever (which can be as high as 104°F)

• Headache and pain behind the eyes, neck stiffness or sore throat

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it’s spread from animals to humans. It’s caused by the bacterium Leptospira interrogans and can be spread through direct contact with infected animals or their urine. The bacteria are found in the urine and faeces of infected animals such as rodents, rabbits and hares; however they can also infect people when they come into contact with contaminated water sources.

Leptospirosis symptoms include fever, headache, muscle ache and tiredness followed by a rash on the trunk (especially around the groin area), arms/legs/neck area within 24 hours of exposure so seek medical attention if you develop any of these symptoms after being in contact with an animal or coming into contact with contaminated water sources

Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)

Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) is a parasitic disease caused by the Lymphatic Filariasis Bacteria (LFB). It’s spread by mosquitoes, which can also carry other diseases such as malaria and dengue.

The parasites are carried in the blood of an infected person and cause long-term skin itching, swelling of lymph nodes, fever and fatigue. In some cases it can cause severe complications including blindness or nerve damage if left untreated for several years.

Onchocerciasis (River blindness)

Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is a parasitic disease caused by a filarial worm. The parasite, Onchocerca volvulus, infects the skin and causes itching and inflamed skin lesions. It’s also known as “river blindness” because it can be transmitted in infected water or blood to humans through bites from black flies that live near rivers or streams.

The symptoms of onchocerciasis include:

• Skin rash with scabs (itches)

• Sores in your eyes if you’re an adult who gets infected

• Bloody diarrhea

Conclusion

Infectious diseases are one of the most widespread causes of death in the world today, and they continue to be a major threat to human health. The most common way that infectious diseases spread is through direct contact with an infected person or animal. However, some infections can also spread through insects such as mosquitoes or cockroaches, which feed off blood from human hosts by biting them on their legs during mating season when they’re weak from sucking up too much water during their life cycle stage.

These three types of transmission are just a few ways that people can get sick; there are many more including air travel vectors such as ticks which carry Lyme disease bacteria bit animals such as bats which carry viruses like rabies (which was deadly until 1952 when it was discovered how ).