COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

        COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

 INTRODUCTION

Communicable diseases like cholera, gastro enteritis, polio are frequent every year in India both in epidemic and endemic form.

Rapid,unplanned urbanisation without proper water supply and sewage disposal are leading to repeated outbreaks of diseases and taking a heavy toll of life hat is why study of health and communicable diseases have become an essential part of medical and health worker.

In this lesso you will get a full picture of communicable diseases, mode of spread, factors causing diseases and its control.

After reading this lesson you will be able to-

» to know what are communicable diseases;
» to understand their mode of transmission;
» to know their control

HEALTH AND COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Health is a feeling of well being of any individual as per WH.O, definitionWhich includes (a) Physical (b) Mental (c) Social (d) Spiritual (it is added by india) well being of a person.

Disease: It is condition of an individual not feeling well or a condition opposite to health.

 what are Communicable Diseases? These are diseases which sp

Spread from one individual (who is suffering from the disease) to a healthy person.The communicable diseases spread by germs called microorganisms,which are very small and cannot be seen with naked eyes.

These germs are also spread from one person to an other person or persons and also from contaminated water, food, air etc

What are Non-Communicable Diseases?

Non-Communicable

diseases do not spread from one man to another. These diseases are also calied life style diseases. The diseases are caused by Faulty ways of living of human beings.

How Communicable Diseases spread?
(a) By Direct Contact: Leprosy, S.T.D's, Scabies, Measles, Chicken Pox etc.
(b) By Droplet Infection: Tuberculosis, Influenza, Diphtheria.
(c) By Contaminated Water: Cholera. Typhoid,Poliomyelitis, Hepatitis.
(d) By Contaminated Soil: Tetanus, Round Worm, Hookworm
(e) By Animals (Zoonotic Disease): Rabies, Bird flu.

Mode of Spread of Communicable Diseases

Following are the mode of spread of communicable diseases.

(a).By Direct Contact of a person: who is suffering from communicadiseases like Leprosy, Sexually Transmitted diseases (AI.D.S, Syplis, Gonnorhoea etc), skin diseases like Scabies etc.

(b) By Air: When a healthy person comes in contact with a person who is suffering from 'communicable disease Infection comes due to intion of germs from the diseased person through air, he gets diseases like Tuberculosis, Influenza, Measles, Diphtheria etc.

(c) By Water borne diseases when a healthy man drinks contaminated water having micro-organisms like bacteria /virus, suffers from diseases like Cholera, Typhoid, Poliomyelitis, Hepatitis etc.

(d) By Soil: lf a healthy individual comes in contact with soil which contains micro-organisms (germs) & parasites he will suffer from (i) Tetanus (ii) Roundworm (ill) Hook Worm infection

(e) By Animals (Zoonotic Communicable Diseases) A heaithy person can get infection from animals for example (i) Rabies by the bite of Rabid animals like dogs, monkeys etc (i) Anthrax (animals) (i) Plague (Rats)

(f) By Infected Food: If a healthy person takes contaminated /infected food having micro-organisms, he will develop diseases such as:

(i)Food Poisoning (ii) Tape worm infection (uncooked meat of cattle or pigs)

(g) By Insect Bite: Insects bite like bite of mosquitoes of different types causes diseases like Malaria, Dengue, Filaria etc,

CONCEPT OF AGENT, HOST & ENVIRONMENT

Spread of communicable diseases is due to Agent, Host & Environment.We call it Epidemiological Triad.

In the absence of anyone of these i.e., Agent, Host and Environment. No communicable disease can occur.

Agents of disease:-

They are responsible for spread of various diseases.

Following are various type of Agents

1.Biological Agent: They are germs, we call them microorganism which are very small and cannot be seen them with our naked eyes.

Bacteria:- whichae cocci (round shaped); Bacilli (Rod shap comma shaped)haped, Vibrio

Viruses :- They are smaller than bacteria and cannot be seen under the microscope but electron microscope is required to

see them.

Fungus :- They also act as biological agent. The Yeast (Unicellular)

2 Chemical Agent:- like lead fumes, dust, gases etc.Carbon monoxide(CO) from cars etc.

3. Nutrient Agent:-

dseases occuring due to excess intake of fat, carbohydrates, protein, (Macro Nutrients)&Vitamins, Calcium, Iron etc (Macro Nutrients). If we take them in excess it gets deposited in the body and we get obesity & due to their deficiency in the food we also get

many diseases like:

»Protein energy deficiency: Kwashiorkar
»Carbohydrate deficiency - Marasmus
» Vitamin A deficiency - Night blindness

4.Physical Agent:- Diseases occuring due to excess of heat will cause heatstroke, radiation, burn cancer of skin etc.

5.Mechanical Agent:- Due to mechanical reasons or chronic friction,injuries fractures etc may occutr

CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

To control communicable diseases, the principle is to break the chain of infection, which may be from source, mode of transmission of diseases and susceptible host

Source:- Any source which may be patient or carrier of diseases may give rise to communicable diseases to the healthy persons like neighbours, attendants of the patients and carriers.

It is the duty of health workers to refer the patients to hospital for isolation so that he does not transfer the disease to healthy persons and for early diagnosis and treatment.

He should inform the higher authorities about dangerous diseases so that they may take preventive measures in the near by areas to check spread of disease.

 Health worker should have knowledge about spread of disease and try to isolate the patients

1. Source (patients and carrier)

(i) Survey the area by health worker as early as possible, diagnosis of the disease, remove to hospital (Isolation – keep away from (healthy person),notification fo health department so that they may take preventive measures\immediately in the near by areas.

2. Mode of transmission of diseases

Diseases may occur due to air pollution, water pollution food contamination. For control of these diseases the pollution certificate for vehicles is required. For water pollution health worker should pay more attention, about disinfection of water sources, Food should be fit for human consumption,foód exposed to dust and flies should be destroyed.

Incubation Period:

It is 17 days which may be 7 to 21 days

Clinical features:

1.Onset is sudden with mild fever, backache and shivering and sign of common cold
2. Rash appears along with mild fever
3.It appears on the trunk where the rash is abundant

4.Rash appears later on face, arms and legs which is not so abundant.Also present under arm pit and palm

5.Rash appears at the same time which is a characteristic feature of chicken pox

6. Scars are on surface only and are temporary

Diagnosis:

1. Virus can be identified by the examination of vesicle fluid under the electron microscope.
2. By culture of virus on suitable media

Complication:

They are mild and death is rare due to chicken pox.
1. Haemorrhage (Due to maternal infection during pregnancy)
2. Birth defects in infants given birth by Infected Mother.

3.Foetal death in pregnant females.

4.Bronchopneumonia and pneumonia

Treatment: It is.prevented by proper vaccination and administration of immunoglobulin (antibody)

Role of Health Worker:

» Identification of chicken pox cases to lsolation of cases
» Notification of cases to higher authorities
» Health education regarding preventioin
» Immunisation and administration of immunoglobulin (i.e.antibodies)

MEASLES

lt is highly infectious disease of children which is an airborne infection caused by a virus. It is a very common disease of developing countries.

Agent: Measles virus is present in secretions of mouth, throat nose i.e. in respiratory tract of infected person. Incubation period is ten days. Period of communicability is from 4 days before & 5 days after the appearance of rash.

Clinical features:

» Fever, nasal discharge, cough, redness of eyes
» vomitting &diarrhoea Appearance of rash is preceded by appearance of koplik's spots. These are very small bluish white spots on buccal membrane opposite to 1 & Il upper molars.
.» Rash appears behind the ears, neck, face and on extremities.
Weakness.

Complications:

A single attack of measles gives rise to life long immunity. However, complications are more dangerous like-
1. pneumonia
2. malnutritiorn
3. diarrhoea
4. respiratory complications

Treatment:

lt is a viral disease so antibiotics have no effect, however they are required to check complications. A health worker should think of treatment according to signs and symptoms of patients. Usually Paracetamol tablet is given to bring down the temperature.

Role of Health Worker

» Surveillance of Area
»Detection of cases

Notification to Higher Authorities

*Health Education to Community Regarding (i) Immunisation
(iü) Complications due to Measles
» Refer to the Doctor

Control:

1.Isolation of patient
2.Notification to area health officers
3.Disinfection of room and articles
4.Antibiotics if required, send to doctor

5.Immunization by Measles vaccine at 9.months of age or (MMR ie Mumps, Measles, Rubella (M.M.R.)

6.Proper nutrition to children to avoid malnutrition.
7.Health education

Measles immunization

1.It is carried out after 9 months of age
2 Before 9 months child is protected by mother's antibodies
3.Measles vaccine is to be kept on the 1st shelf of the refrigerator.
4. After reconstitution it is to be used immediately.
5.A single dose of 0.5 cc reconstituted vaccine is given by intra muscular injection
6. In case of outbreak measles vaccine can be given before 6 months.
Dose for measles vaccine: 0.5 cc of reconstituted dose is to be given by muscular injection.

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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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