Epidemiology of Influenza

Epidemiology of Influenza
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Epidemiology of Influenza
Description of Influenza
Influenza is an acute respiratory illness caused by various Influenza A, B, C, and D virus. The illness happens in epidemics and outbreaks globally, primarily during winter. Influenza A virus constitute the sole influenza virus that causes flu disease global epidemics (Moghadami, 2017). Influenza type C viruses cause mild illnesses and also result in human flu epidemics. Influenza D infections mainly impact cattle, and no evidence supports infection in persons (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Uncomplicated influenza disease is normally characterized by the sudden onset of upper and constitutional respiratory tract manifestations (e.g., chills, headache, nonproductive cough, rhinitis, myalgia, fever, and sore throat). Nevertheless, many individuals infected with the influenza virus do not show fever, particularly those who are immunosuppressed or elderly (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).
Complications lead to severe illness. In young children, otitis media and respiratory complications such as bronchiolitis, tracheitis, and croup can happen. Other problems in children include musculoskeletal (severe myositis), neurologic (transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and encephalitis, and encephalopathy), and cardiac (pericarditis and myocarditis). In individuals of all ages, influenza could lead to dehydration and underlying clinical conditions exacerbation (e.g., myocardial infarction, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, and cerebrovascular accident). Secondary invasive bacterial pneumonia and primary influenza viral pneumonia can result in respiratory failure, multi-organ failure, acute lung injury, septic shock, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).
These illnesses are passed from one individual to another in different ways. For example, one can contract an infectious illness via contact with bodily fluids, including blood, inhaling an airborne virus, as well as by being bitten by an insect. Influenza is also referred to as flu. An individual can contract influenza by touching contaminated surfaces and touching their eyes, nose, or mouth (El Ramahi & Freifeld, 2019). Regarding treatment, prompt initiation of proper anti-influenza medical therapy has constantly been recorded to mitigate mortality and hospitalization rates as well as to reduce progression to pneumonia in cancer patients (El Ramahi & Freifeld, 2019). It is crucial to indicate that antibiotics do not assist in flu treatment since a virus and not bacteria cause it. In this way, influenza treatment improves antivirals’ physician prescriptions, incorporating Zanamivir [also called Relenza] (Grohskopf et al., 2016).
World Health Organization details indicate that most 650,000 persons die due to flu-related respiratory illnesses (Grohskopf et al., 2016). The organization derives such estimates by considering the results from certain recently conducted respiratory mortality research. This is in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, which shows that nearly 5-20 percent of the general populace is infected with the flu virus within a year. Much such populace is hospitalized from related infections, and more die from the illness complications (Grohskopf et al., 2016). The WHO reports indicate nearly 3-5 million flu outbreaks and approximately half a million mortalities annually.
Influenza infection constitutes a reportable illness. In the US, each state has regulations and laws concerning notifiable illnesses and the protocol. The parties tasked with reporting the illness cases are laboratories, health providers, daycare, children’s facilities, and schools, including other non-governmental institutions. Both state and local health departments report the cases instantly to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) website. The reporting protocol involves the outbreak case details, such as time and state of diagnosis. The CDC initiates instant inquiry concerning the outbreak to indicate the Influenza virus's nature and thus contain the spread.
Social Determinants of Health and Contribution to Influenza Development
Social determinants of health are conditions within which individuals are born, grow, live, work, live, and age, including the extended combination of systems and forces and social and economic systems and policies that influence their routine lives and the environment (El Ramahi & Freifeld, 2019). That said, social determinants – including race/ethnicity, education, vaccination, and access to medical care services, socioeconomic status, school or workplace policies, and neighborhood-level stressors – can influence influenza diseases and outbreaks in the US (El Ramahi & Freifeld, 2019). Influenza is a critical illness related to higher death rates annually, which results in vast economic implications. Social determinants promote influenza infection growth as well as outbreaks. This leads to certain issues, including deteriorated access to medical services and vaccinations against the illness (Fell et al., 2017). Moreover, social determinants of health significantly influence the instituting a framework for the researches to inform initiatives to mitigate influenza burden to the populaces. Poor access to education also impacts how the public is informed concerning influenza. It thus causes a substantial threat towards the illness outbreak since they cannot know the physical manifestations associated with the disease, which heightens its spread (Fell et al., 2017).
The Epidemiological Triangle of Influenza
The epidemiological triangle entails four parts, including an agent, environment, time, and host. CDC (2016) indicates that the influenza virus incorporates several diverse strains that attacks the upper respiratory tract. Accordingly, the virus uses animals as carriers and has a rapid mutation rate, which prompts vaccine research and creation every year. Individuals with a compromised immune system have a heightened risk of contracting the infection. Certain environmental factors impacting the illness spread include geographical exposure to animal carriers (Fell et al., 2017). Medical workers are highly exposed to the disease due to deteriorated health determinants within their practice environment. Influenza agent entails moisture contents transm...