EPIDEMIOLOGY OF TUBERCULOSIS Essay

This makes the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria develop into airborne. It only takes breathing in of a few tuberculosis bacteria for a person to be diseased with the disease. Although TB is most normally assumed to have a greater effect on the lungs, it also contaminates other areas, for example, the brain, and even, bones more so the backbone and kidneys. Not everybody who is diagnosed with TB will display the signs or be transmittable to others; thus named as inactive TB. The situation came about at the time when the victim hosts the bacteria hence having a meager opportunity of being contagious to others. Since the 1980s the rate of contacting tuberculosis has increased because of spread of HIV which reduces immunity.

Some of the symptoms include persistent couch that exceeds three weeks which is sometimes accompanied with blood. The patient can also experience chest pain or through pain when coughing. Tuberculosis also leads to weight loss, fatigue, fever, chills and loss of appetite. During its late stages, tuberculosis can also lead to back pain and blood in urine because of affected kidneys. Thus it’s essential to look carefully at the background of the victim in references to drugs. Isoniazid can be recommended for a period of half a year to two years. In most cases, the usage of Rifampin (Rifadin) is frequently combined with INH. Also, it excites enzymes in the liver, thus increasing the breakdown of several drugs, hence, reducing efficiency.

A flu-like syndrome is one of the side effects to watch for. This process is known as the directly observed therapy (DOT). Besides, this happens when a community health nurse or observes a victim intake the medicine at the proper dosage and the prescribed interval. An area where the process can be achieved is at the community health clinic or even in the home health visit, or as well plans can be arranged for the workers at the healthcare to go to the victim’s work site (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Since the TB victims were not adhering to the therapy prescription, and also not finishing the full course of the drug therapy. Thus the birth of the method was evident. Besides, local health department or the local health officer will be required to take the primary obligation for the TB cases within the chosen authority (CDC, 2012a).

Also, they are required to formulate a tuberculosis control program, which may include, "case find, contact tracing, prophylaxis, treatment, and as well as the aspects of epidemiologic investigation” (CDC, 2012a). Furthermore, they are also required to keep the record of every patient of tuberculosis, irrespective if it a newly reported case or a reoccurring case. The local health officer or the local health department is required to determine the area where the victim is to be isolated in and also when it is the right time for the patient to be freed back to the society. The medical director will be able to give an admission procedure as given by the local health officer when the patient requires hospitalization due to tuberculosis diagnosis.

Thus when the symptoms of the patient appear to be resolved, then the patient starts to miss the appointments and also does off with the medications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that "the customary epidemiologic triad model holds that communicable result from the interface of agent host, and the surroundings. More exactly, the transmission takes place at the time when the agent gets out of the reservoir through what is called the portal of exit, is thus transferred to enter through a proper portal of entry to contaminate a vulnerable host” (CDC, 2012b). From all these features listed above, a contagious disease chain is created. For example, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria are known to be the "cause," and thus the victim infected with active tuberculosis is the reservoir.

Also, it is significant to make a report if anyone within your household has exhibited chest pains that have lasted longer than a week, cough, chills, and loss of appetite, night sweats or fever. Secondly, the nurses have a high foundation of information about the local funds to get the test or also get the cure for tuberculosis. However, the people can as well reach the local health department on the skin test or blood test, to confirm the infection. Thirdly, the local nurse should be able to provide the required education to the people on the measures of preventing the spread of disease to other people. For example, the nurse should inform the people of the proper hand washing techniques and also the ethics to cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing.

However, the CDC report shows that 9 million people develop some form of tuberculosis that is often caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Also, CDC states that 2 million deaths are caused by TB internationally every year. Also, certain groups of people are at a higher risk of contracting TB. These groups include those who are incarcerated, migrant workers, the homeless individual, immunocompromised people, and as well as the health workers. For example in the United States, it's evident that tuberculosis has dropped for the last 20 years, but the cases of those who relocated from places where exposure is high. Also, those infants getting to 5 months of age and lastly recommend BCG vaccine for the infants of the age 5 through 8 months from the start of 2016.

Thus parents are retold to bring infants of at least five months after birth to their local health bureau or the contracted hospital for the routine immunization for the children along health handbook of the child and lastly the National Health Insurance IC card for the infants to receive the vaccine. Taiwan CDC reminds BCG immunization to help prevent the children from developing TB meningitis, which can lead to premature death or even permanent disability. Geographically, in Taiwan, the Eastern part is mostly affected with the highest incidence of death caused by Tuberculosis, followed by Kaohsiung-Pingtung area, whereas the northern part of Taiwan shows to have the least incidence. Looking at the cities and counties in Taiwan, (95. gov/ophss/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section10.