Tuberculosis Infectious Disease
ANSWERS
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by germs that spread through the air from person to person. TB is most commonly associated with the lungs but can also affect the brain, kidneys, or spine. If a person with tuberculosis does not receive treatment, they may die.
Feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats are all common symptoms of tuberculosis. Coughing, chest pain, and blood coughing are also symptoms of TB disease of the lungs. The symptoms of tuberculosis in other body parts vary depending on the area affected.
When a person with tuberculosis of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes speaks, or sings, TB germs are released into the air. Depending on the environment, these germs can survive in the air for several hours. Individuals who breathe in TB germs can become infected, which is known as latent TB infection.
TB disease can be treated by taking a combination of medications for 6 to 12 months. People with tuberculosis must finish and take their medications exactly as prescribed. They may become ill again if they stop taking the drugs too soon; if they do not take the drugs correctly, the germs still alive may become resistant to those drugs. Drug-resistant tuberculosis is more complex and expensive to treat. In some cases, local health department personnel meet with TB patients regularly to monitor how they take their medications. This is known as directly observed therapy (DOT). DOT assists the patient in completing treatment in the shortest time possible.
QUESTION
Tuberculosis Infectious Disease
Scenario You are an epidemiologist and/or health care communications expert for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You are responsible for disseminating information to your peers regarding an infectious disease in a professional but educational way. The dissemination should Include graphics or videos to highlight a specific disease, Using your local health district website, look up the statistics or surveillance report for infectious diseases in your community. Locate your local health district using the NACCHO website e. Here is an example for the Southern Nevada Health Districte Choose one disease in the latest report. Then, use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention de and/or other government (govor organizational.org) websites to answer the discussion prompts provided Discussion Prompts: Initial Post
• What disease did you choose, and why?
• What is the causative agent (bacteria, virus, fungus, etc.) of this disease?
• Describe the causative agent. Where can it be found? How can it be transmitted? What are the risk factors attributed to getting this disease? This is where a graphic or video will help!
• Discuss the signs and symptoms of the disease
• Discuss the diagnostic testing of the disease.
• Discuss the possible treatments of the disease,
• If there are statistics related to the disease, please include these as well. For example, how many people may have had this disease in the last year? In the last 100 years? Have there been any recent outbreaks?