Communicable disease Paper: Influenza. Human-to-human transmission. Recommended preventive care

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE: INFLUENZA
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Communicable disease: Influenza
Influenza is an airborne disease caused by influenza virus. It is a respiratory infection that causes substantial burden worldwide. Recent studies showed that 10 -20 % of the world population suffers from seasonal epidemic influenza each year CITATION WHO10 l 1033 (WHO, 2010). Pandemics arise as a result of mutations undergone by the existing viruses to form a new virus resistant to the present immunization thus high risks of infections in the population to the pandemic virus. Influenza epidemic and pandemic could cause significant health impacts, which include clinical illness, hospitalization and socio-economic effects.
Rapid spread of disease is as a result of globalizations. For example, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) spread rapidly between three continents; Asia, South America and parts of Europe in 2003 (Skowronski, et al., 2005) and by pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza. Travel and trade within and between the countries accellerate the spread of virus within the shortest time possble.
Human-to-human transmission
Studies have shown that influenza is transmitted through airborne routes, contacts and droplets. However, respiratory droplets contact are considered the most effective means of transmission since they travel short distance in the air. Droplets are expelled and transported by airborne aerosols when an infected person sneezes, coughed, intubates and bronchoscopy. But clinical research showed that aerosol transmission is though to be low (Brankston, et al., 2007). Viral properties determine the successful transmission and development of the disease. This is the ability of the virus to replicate on the respiratory surface (upper and lower respiratory tract) and other preference localization in the respiratory system. Upper respiratory tract is where the virus are expelled through sneezing and coughing, thus circulated in the air.
Environmental setting
The spread and transmission of influenza is influenzed by different factors, which include interaction among the individuals, immunity of an individual, poor hygiene and susceptibility of infection. Environmental setting determines the rate of infections and transmission of influenza virus among the population. These include open and closed environments such as schools, household, health facilities, airplanes, railways. Closed environment i.e. boarding school, military ships, airplanes and nursing home have once experienced the highest rate of infections of upto 71 % attacks in three weeks. While airplane have reported the inefctions of upto 72 % of passange...