PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF DISEASES AND ILLNESSES

notb 10/10/26

major public health problems

includes communicable diseases (waterborne, food borne, zoonotic, STI, etc.), chronic illnesses (heart disease, stroke, cancer, alzheimer’s, DM, CKD), and substance abuse/acute injuries (overdose, suicide, firearm injury). have the capacity to cause severe burdens due to their incidence or prevalence, the potential for spread, impact on health and wellness, or economic impact.

chain of infection

elements and sequence of events that are involved in communicable disease transmission. includes the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.

agent

refers to an infectious pathogen, chemical, or physical cause of disease or injury. is defined by infectivity (ability to infect and multiply in the host), the dose (amount needed to cause infection), communicability (ability to spread from one person to another), pathogenicity (ability of an agent to cause disease), and virulence (ability to cause severe disease). properties like drug resistance and toxins increase virulence.

host

the human that is susceptive to disease or injury. defense mechanisms such as innate immunity (natural barriers of our body), acquired immunity (develops after exposure to actual infection or vaccination), and community/herd immunity (immunity conveyed to the general population through vaccines or previous illness), can be targeted or boosted in prevention efforts.

susceptible hosts

risk factors that could promote the ability of an agent to cause disease in a host include any circumstance in which the innate immune system is compromised or other factors that may interact the susceptibility of the host. ex include impaired/improperly functioning immune systems, extremes of age, nutrition, genetics, and the environment.

transmission

refers to the ways in which agents are transmitted from a. reservoir to another susceptible host. can be direct (agent is transferred directly from a reservoir to a host) or indirect (transmission uses an intermediary such as a vector or fomite, ex. airborne, vehicle, and vector).

direct transmission methods

includes direct contact with other individuals, the direct spread of droplets, or through the placenta. ex of diseases caused by direct transmission include the common cold, tetanus, pertussis, gonorrhea, HIV, and congenital infections. interventions can elude case finding, contact tracing, isolation, quarantine, vaccination, treatment, and patient education.

indirect transmission methods

most common forms include airborne (infectious agents that are suspended in the air that can travel long distances and remain infective for long periods of time), vehicle-borne (inanimate objects that serve as the intermediator of the pathogen, including food, water, and fomites), and vector-born (occurs when living organisms indirectly transmit an agent from a reservoir to a host, includes bats, mosquitoes, and ticks). ex include TB, Lyme disease, and diarrheal diseases. intervention methods can include proper sanitation, clean water, and pest control.

infectious

disease is caused by a pathogen

communicable

the disease can be spread from human to human; this does not apply to all infectious diseases

waterborne illnesses

disruptions in systems such as water pipes or low water pressures can introduce pathogens into the water supply. sources can include municipal drinking water supplies; recreational water sources (pools, fountains, hot tubs), lakes, ponds, steams, and drainage systems. ex include otitis external, legionnaires disease, and norovirus. often causes diarrhea. individual prevention can include avoiding swallowing pool water, drinking water from safe sources, and handling and preparing food safely. community prevention can look like ensuring proper maintenance of and updates to water system infrastructures and following in place policies and regulations for water management.

foodborne illnesses

also known as food poisoning. scientists have identified more than 250 million different illnesses. the most common are norovirus, salmonella, c.perfringens, campylobacter, and s.aureus. those most at risk fro acquiring these illnesses are young children, pregnant, older adults, and the immunocompromised. common s/s include abdominal pain, n/v, and diarrhea. measures such as properly cleaning (washing hands, cleaning dishes), separating (using different cutting boards, prep in different areas), cooking (safe internal temp), and chilling (fridge temp should be no more than 40F).

zoonotic

illnesses that can spread between people and animals. the most concerning forms of this type of illness includes influenzas, salmonellosis, west nile, and the plague. can spread via direct contact, indirect contact, vectors, or vehicles such as food and water. age extremes, immunocompromised, and the pregnant are high risk. prevention can involve washing hands after being around animals, preventing bites from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas, avoiding bites and scratches from animals, and utilizing food safety principles.

vector

living organisms that can spread infectious agents between human hosts or from animal reservoirs to human hosts. cause more than 700k deaths annually, with the greatest burden being in the tropical and subtropical areas. common examples include ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas. prevention methods target the organism itself, the environment, and the potential host.

primary prevention

measures are implemented to prevent a disease from occurring

secondary prevention

measures are implemented to detect and treat diseases early.

tertiary prevention

measures are implemented to reduce the severity and overall effects of the disease or injury.

individual level prevention

those that focus on individuals by increasing awareness and changes in modifiable risk factors. ex.decreasing the risk of lung cancer and pollution-based respiratory illness by reducing exposure to air pollutants, reducing use of fossil fuels, and not smoking.

community-based prevention

interventions that are population based and aimed at improving the health of communities and decreasing disparities. that result in health inequalities. ex include zoning laws that provide incentives for the creation of bike paths or laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 18.

chronic illness

the leading cause of death and disability and the leading driver of health care costs in the US. key primary and individual prevention strategies include smoking cessation, a healthy diet, regular activity, alcohol moderation, etc. secondary and tertiary prevention includes screenings, physical assessments, and implementation of routine monitoring and reccomeded treatments based on risk factors identified.

drug overdose

those at high risk for opioid misuse include those who have a hx of abuse, mental illnesses, have pain, and have experienced ACEs. prevention strategies include naloxone distribution, medication assisted treatment (agonist drugs that prevent painful withdrawal symptoms), client education, immunity laws (protect from drug-related charges when bystanders call first responders to the scene of an overdose), and syringe service programs.

suicide

the 10th leading cause of death in the US, second leading amongst those 10-34. LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to have attempted this as their heteros3xual peers. prevention strategies include strengthening economic support (financial security), strengthening access to and delivery of care, creating protective protective environments, promoting connectedness, teaching coping and problem solving skills, identifying and supporting those at risk, and lessening harm to prevent future risks.