Epidemiology and Global Implications of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Write a paper in which you apply the concepts of epidemiology and nursing research to a communicable disease. Refer to "Communicable Disease Chain," "Chain of Infection," and the CDC website for assistance when completing this assignment.
Communicable Disease Selection
Chickenpox
Tuberculosis
Influenza
Mononucleosis
Hepatitis B
HIV
Ebola
Measles
Polio
Influenza
Epidemiology Paper Requirements
1. Describe the chosen communicable disease, including causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment, and the demographic of interest (mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence). Is this a reportable disease? If so, provide details about reporting time, whom to report to, etc.
2. Describe the social determinants of health and explain how those factors contribute to the development of this disease.
3. Discuss the epidemiologic triangle as it relates to the communicable disease you have selected. Include the host factors, agent factors (presence or absence), and environmental factors. Are there any special considerations or notifications for the community, schools, or general population?
4.. Explain the role of the community health nurse (case finding, reporting, data collection, data analysis, and follow-up) and why demographic data are necessary to the health of the community.
5..Identify at least one national agency or organization that addresses the communicable disease chosen and describe how the organizations contribute to resolving or reducing the impact of the disease.
6.. Discuss a global implication of the disease. How is this addressed in other countries or cultures? Is this disease endemic to a particular area? Provide an example.
A minimum of three peer-reviewed or professional references is required. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
HIV
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Department, Institution Affiliation
Course Code; Course Name
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HIV
Causes and Mode of Transmission
HIV is a sexually transmitted disease that targets and weakens the immune system against various infections and cancers that individuals with a robust immune system can repel. Infected people gradually become weak as the virus destroys the immune cells’ functions (CDC, 2020). The disease is caused by a virus spread through intercourse, sharing sensitive equipment such as needles, contact with infected blood, and breastfeeding. HIV affects the CD4 T cells that fight against infections. After semen or vaginal emissions and infected blood enters their bodies, people get infected with the disease. The fluids enter the body through multiple channels, such as having vaginal, anal, and oral sex with an infected person. Mouth sores and small tears present in the vagina or rectum during sex provide a channel for the virus to enter the body. The virus can also be transmitted by blood transfusion (CDC, 2019). However, the risk of transmitting the disease through blood transfusion is low in developed countries since hospitals and blood banks conduct proper screening for donated blood. Lastly, infected mothers can infect their babies during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding. As such, infected mothers should receive treatment for the disease during pregnancy to reduce the chances of infecting their babies.
Symptoms
The symptoms of the disease depend on the stage of infection. People infected with HIV are infectious within a few months after contracting the condition since they are unaware of their status. Infected people experience a flu-like sickness between 2 and 4 days after the virus enters the body. The illness lasts for a few weeks, accompanied by multiple symptoms such as fever, night sweats, and rash, to mention a few (Mayo Clinic, 2018). As the disease weakens the defense system, infected people develop other signs like weight loss and diarrhea—failure to receive treatments results in more severe symptoms such as cancers, tuberculosis, and multiple bacterial infections.
Complications
HIV weakens the body’s defense system making individuals prone to multiple infections and cancers. Diseases common to infected people include pneumocystis pneumonia, candidiasis, tuberculosis, and meningitis. Pneumocystis pneumonia is a fungal disease that causes severe sickness to individuals infected with HIV (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Candidiasis refers to an HIV-related infection that leads to redness and a thick coating in the mouth, tongue, and vagina. On the other hand, tuberculosis is an opportunistic disease that causes death to many people with AIDS. Lastly, meningitis refers to inflammation of the membranes and fluid covering the spinal cord and brain.
Treatment
HIV can be managed by treatment programs that contain three or more ARV drugs. The current ART does not treat the disease. Still, it oppresses virus reproduction within the body to allow an individual’s defense system to recover and gain strength to counter opportunistic infections and particular cancers.
Demographic of Interest
HIV is a global health problem that has claimed approximately 36.3 million lives across the globe. The number of individuals infected with HIV in 2020 was 37.7 million people (WHO, 2021). Two-thirds of the people living with the disease are from the African region. In 2020, approximately 680,000 people lost their lives due to HIV-related infections, and about 1.5 million people got infected with HIV. HIV is a reportable infection. The disease is reported to the state health department through case surveillance.
How Social Determinants of Health Contribute to HIV development
Social determinants of health refer to non-medical elements that affect individuals’ health outcomes. These are conditions where individuals are born, dwell, and grow old and the broader forces and systems that determine the daily necessities. The forces and systems include economic, social, norms, and political factors. Social health determinants play a crucial role in promoting health inequalities due to unfair and avoidable variations witnessed in different nations (Maruthappu et al., 2017). They include education, food security, access to quality healthcare services, and unemployment, to mention a few. Social determinants of health support the development of HIV in various ways.
Poverty and unemployment increase the risk of individuals contracting HIV/AIDS by encouraging people to engage in risky behaviors while searching for temporary work to sustain themselves. Also, poverty promotes food insecurity that increases the chances of HIV infection since people engage in transactional sex. People living in rural areas face multiple challenges such as limited healthcare facilities, lack of HIV/AIDS experts, economic infrastructure, and little education about the disease. Income inequality contributes to increased HIV infection in males, while health and housing increase HIV infection in females. However, both genders experience minimum survival rates after infection due to poverty and unemployment.
Additionally, women living in poor households might experience challenges before, during, and after delivering their babies, increasing the risks of HIV infection and complications. Women with low income might fail to access HIV tests and encounter food insecurity that will affect their maternal and baby health (Maruthappu et al., 2017). Food security will also affect the CD4 count for individuals in marginalized households. As a result, they experience poor medication adherence, incomplete oppression of HIV reproduction, and unfavorable attitudes towards health care providers.
The Epidemiologic Triangle of HIV
The epidemiologic triangle is a model that explains the microbes causing infections and the conditions that facilitate their reproduction and spread. The triangle contains three parts known as the agent, the host, and the surrounding. The agent refers to the microorganism that causes the infections and can be a virus, bacteria, or parasite. The host is infected by the agent that carries the disease. The host can serve as carriers for the microbes without indicating any signs of illness. The environment refers to the external factors that affect epidemiologic outbreaks. The environment involves factors that influence an infection’s spread but are not directly a section of the host or the agent.
The agent in our disease is HIV, which targets individuals&rsquo...