communicable diseases

• Communicable diseases are often the leading causes of all illness in the country today. Most often they afflict the most vulnerable, the young and the elderly. They have numerous economic psychological, disabling and distinguishing effects to the emergence of newly discovered diseases and the re-emergence of old ones.
• Types of Microorganism causing infections

  • Bacteria
  • Viruses
  • Fungi
  • Parasites
• Chain of Infection


  1. Reservoir (Host)

  2. Portal of Exit from reservoir

  3. Mode of Transmission

  4. Portal of entry to the susceptible host

  5. Susceptible Host
• Immunization


  The process of introducing vaccine into the body to produce antibodies that will protect our body against a specific infectious agent
• Chemoprophylaxis


  Administration of drugs to prevent occurrence of infection
• Specific protection against diseases

  Mechanical Prophylaxis - Placing mechanical barriers between the sources of agent and host such as use of mosquito nets, masks or gloves
• Vaccines available for routine immunization

  • DPT (Diptheria, pertussis and tetanus) vaccine
  • OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine)
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine
  • Hib (H.influenza type B) polysaccharide vaccine
  • Hepatitis B vaccine
  • BCG (Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin)
  • CDT (Cholera, Dysentery, Typhoid)
• Diphtheria


  Caused by Corynebacterium diptheriae
• Pertussis


  Caused by Bordetella pertussis
• Tetanus


  Caused by Clostridium tetani
• Polio


  Caused by Polio virus
• Measles


  Caused by Measles virus
• Mumps


  Caused by Mumps virus

  
• Rubella


  Caused by Rubella virus
• Haemophilus influenza


  Caused by Haemophilus influenza
• Hepatitis B


  Reduces the chance of acquiring Hepatitis B
• Tuberculosis


  Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• An early start with DPT reduces the chance of severe pertussis
• The extent of protection against polio is increased the earlier the OPV is given
• An early start of hep. B reduces the chance of acquiring Hepatitis B
• Given at the earliest possible, BCG protects against the possibility of infection from other family members
• Cholera


  Caused by Vibrio cholerae

  
• Dysentery


  Caused by Shigella dysenteriae
• Typhoid


  Caused by Salmonella typhii
• Influenza


  Causative agent: Influenza A, B, and C
• Sources of Infection (Influenza)

  Respiratory secretions
• Influenza has universal susceptibility but varying degrees as shown by frequent unapparent and typical infection during epidemics. Occurrence is variable, in pandemics, local epidemics, and as sporadic cases, often unrecognized by reason of indefinite clinical symptoms. Infection produces immunity of unknown duration to the type and subtype of infecting virus.
• Methods of prevention and control (Influenza)

  • Education/Awareness
  • Avoid the use of common towels, glasses and eating utensils
  • Active immunization
• Pneumonia


  An acute infectious disease of the lungs usually caused by the pneumococcus resulting in the consolidation of one or more lobes of either one or both lungs
• Causative agents (Pneumonia)


  • Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae
  • Viruses
• Predisposing causes (Pneumonia)


  • Fatigue
  • Overexposed to inclement weather
  • Exposure to polluted air
  • Malnutrition
• Signs and symptoms (Pneumonia)

  • Rhinitis/common cold
  • Pain over affected areas
  • Rusty sputum
  • Highly colored urine
  • Productive cough
  • Severe chill
  • Fast respiration
  • High fever
  • Vomiting at times
  • Dilated pupils
  • Convulsion may occur
• Cholera (El tor)


  An acute serious illness characterized by sudden onset of acute and profuse colorless diarrhea, vomiting, severe dehydration, muscular cramps, cyanosis and in severe cases collapse

  
• Source of infection (Cholera)

  Contaminated water and food

  
• Susceptibility, Resistance and Occurrence (Cholera)


  • Susceptibility and resistance general although variable
  • Immunity artificially induced by vaccine
  • Appears occasionally in epidemic form in the Philippines

  
• Methods of Prevention and Control (Cholera)

  • Bring patient to hospital for proper isolation and prompt and competent medical care
  • Other preventive measures are the same as those of Dysentery and Typhoid
  • All contacts should submit themselves for stool examination and be treated accordingly if found positive

  
• Tuberculosis


  A highly contagious bacterial infection, usually affecting the lungs but can also affect other organs of the body like brain, kidney, intestine, and bones
• Period of communicability (Tuberculosis)


  • As long as viable tubercle bacilli are being discharged from the lesions
  • Diminishes rapidly after effective chemotherapy is instituted
  • Becomes negligible after 2-3 weeks of adequate treatment
• Preventive measures (Tuberculosis)


  • Prompt diagnosis and treatment of infectious cases
  • BCG vaccination of newborn, infants, grade 1/ school entrants
  • Educate the public in mode of spread and method of control and the importance of early diagnosis
  • Improve social conditions, which increases the risk of becoming infected such as overcrowding
  • Make available medical laboratory and X-ray facilities for examination of patients contacts and suspects
• Leprosy


  An infectious disease and is a leading cause of permanent physical disability among the communicable disease