PUBH1012 Fundamental Concept of Public Health Report Sample

PUBH1012 Fundamental Concept of Public Health Report

Objective

Students will research and create a concise, visually appealing fact sheet about an infectious disease of public health importance. The fact sheet should provide key information for educational or public health purposes, highlighting essential facts about the disease, its transmission, prevention, and diagnosis.

Assignment Guidelines

1. Format:

● One-page fact sheet (A4 size, editable in Word or PDF).

● Include visuals, diagrams, and concise text to make it engaging and informative.

2. Content Outline:

● Students must follow this outline for their fact sheet:

XY Disease - Infectious Disease of Public Health Importance

● Pathogen:

○ Type: (e.g., virus, bacteria, parasite, fungus)

○ Classification: (e.g., Plasmodium falciparum, SARS-CoV-2)

○ Image: Include an image of the pathogen.

○ Associated Diseases: Describe diseases caused by the pathogen.

● Transmission/Vector:

○ Describe the primary mode of transmission (e.g., respiratory droplets, contaminated food, vector-borne).

● Life Cycle/Pathogenesis:

○ Diagram: Include a diagram (CDC or WHO source).

● Epidemiology/Distribution:

○ World distribution: Highlight regions affected using a map.

○ High-risk demographics: Identify populations most affected.

● Diagnosis:

○ Primary symptoms: Describe key clinical presentations.

● Prevention and Control:

○ Summarize prevention measures (e.g., vaccination, public health interventions).

● General Resources for More Information:

○ Include reliable sources such as WHO, CDC, or local public health

organizations.

Assignment Deliverables

● Format: Submit the fact sheet as a Word document or PDF.

● Due Date: TBD

● Submission Method: via email, and Blackboard.

Solution

Pathogen

• Type: Dengue Fever is primarily caused by a virus and the pathogen can be classified as a member of the Flavivirus genus, which is within the Flaviviridae family (Ecdc, 2024). The dengue virus is primarily responsible for representing one of the most significant global health challenges, especially in tropical and subtropical regions.

• Classification: DENV of the dengue virus has four serotypes, including DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4 (Nature, 2024). If a person is infected with one serotype, then he/she is lifelong immune to the specific serotype but is vulnerable to other serotypes. The risks of secondary infections for MBA assignment expert are quite extensive.

Figure 1: Dengue virus
(Source: Nature, 2024)

• Associated Diseases: The dengue virus is responsible for creating two different clinical conditions, Dengue Fever and Severe Dengue. Dengue Fever is a flu-like illness and can be characterised by fever, pain and rash. Severe Dengue is a life-threatening condition and is marked by severe bleeding, plasma leakage and organ impairment, requiring urgent medical attention.

Transmission/Vector

• Primary mode of transmission: The transmission of the dengue virus mainly occurs due to the bite of an infected female mosquito of the genus Aedes (WHO, 2024). In this context, the most important species are Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. Such mosquitoes mainly thrive in different urban and suburban environments. They breed in areas where there is stagnant water.

• Characteristics of the vector: The Aedes aegypti mosquitos are mainly daytime feeders and the peak biting activity occurs in the early morning as well as in late afternoon. Such mosquitos prefer to lay eggs in artificial containers, such as flower pots, discarded tyres, water storage containers and others.

Figure 2: Aedes aegypti mosquitos
(Source: Stelloh, 2016)

Lifecycle/Pathogenesis

 

The above image shows the continuous lifecycle of the Aedes species of mosquitoes, which is mainly responsible for the transmission of dengue fever. It starts with the eggs laid by female adult mosquitos, then the eggs turn into larva. After that, the larva transits into pupa within as few as just 5 days. Pupae live in water and they developed into full-flying Aedes mosquitoes within 2-3 days.

Epidemiology/Distribution

• World distribution:

Figure 4: Global distribution of dengue fever
(Source: Cdc, 2024b)

The world map above shows the most concerning areas where dengue fever can be seen. Mosquitos that spread dengue generally live in places below 6500 feet, which can also be evident from the global map.

• High-risk demographics: Certain populations are more vulnerable to dengue compared to others. For example, residents living in dense population and poor sanitation faces high risks of dengue (Tayal et al., 2023). Individuals traveling or living in endemic regions during mosquito breeding seasons are vulnerable population as well. Children and elderly persons generally experience more severe complications.
Diagnosis

• Primary Symptoms: Dengue fever mainly presents a range of different symptoms and it can also vary in severity. For example, sudden high fever, 1040 F, lasting for 2-7 days and severe pain and headaches behind the eyes (retro-orbital) pain can be described as the primary symptoms of this disease (WHO, 2024). Additionally, joint and muscle pain, which is also referred as breakbone fever, can also be experienced due to the intensity of this disease. Loss of appetite, nausea and constant vomiting can also be identified as the other primary symptoms of this disease. Mild bleeding symptoms, such as easy bruising and gum bleeding, skin rash appearing after 2-5 days of the onset of fever can also be identified as the primary symptoms of this disease (WHO, 2024).

• Severe Dengue Symptoms: The severe dengue cases involve symptoms and complications like persistent vomiting, difficulty in breathing, sings of internal bleeding and abdominal pain (Roy and Bhattacharjee, 2021). In such cases, it is necessary to convey immediate medical attention in the current context.

• Methods of diagnosis: Laboratory tests, such as antibody test (IgM/IgG), antigen detection (NS1) and RT-PCR are quite important in terms of ensuring the confirmation of dengue infection in any individual. Early diagnosis is quite crucial in terms of maintaining and managing symptoms while effectively preventing severe outcomes.

Prevention and Control

• Vaccination: The Dengvaxia vaccine has been widely approved in a range of different countries while targeting different individuals with prior dengue infections (WHO, 2024). However, it is also necessary to keep in mind that the vaccine is not widely and universally available due to its potential risks in terms of dengue-naïve individuals.

• Mosquito control and prevention measures: In most of the countries with high risks of dengue, mosquito control and prevention measures have been taken into consideration because they can help to prevent dengue in an effective manner. Controlling mosquito populations and preventing mosquito bites is quite essential as well in dengue prevention. In terms of personal protection, it is necessary to use different insect repellents which contain DEET (Kularatne and Dalugama, 2022). Sleeping under mosquito nets and wearing long-sleeved clothing can also be identified as personal measures of being protected against this dengue virus. Additionally, eliminating standing and still water in containers can be identified as another way of controlling and preventing dengue. Faulty and broken water storage units must be repaired and larvicides must be used whenever necessary. Community-based initiatives and strategies can also be considered in order to prevent and control mosquitoes while preventing the same (Kularatne and Dalugama, 2022). For example, integrated vector management and public health campaigns can be used as effective strategies for reducing breeding sites and mosquito populations in the current times.

• General public health interventions: Different types of surveillance systems can be used in order to monitor dengue activities while identifying any possible outbreaks. Additionally, some rapid response teams can be made in order to successfully contain outbreaks while providing the necessary medical support to others. Some effective and popular sources can be used in this context as well so that people can get to know how to prevent mosquito bites while safeguarding themselves against the dengue virus. To get more detailed information and prevention techniques of the dengue virus, individuals need to go through some effective resources like WHO’s (World Health Organisation) guidelines about dengue. CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) can offer necessary resources for healthcare providers, travellers and the general public.

References

Cdc, 2024a. Life Cycle of Aedes Mosquitoes [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/life-cycle-of-aedes-mosquitoes.html [Accessed 15 January 2025]
Cdc, 2024b. Areas with Risk of Dengue [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/areas-with-risk/index.html [Accessed 15 January 2025]

Ecdc, 2024. Factsheet for health professionals about dengue [online] Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/dengue-fever/facts#:~:text=The%20pathogen,dengue%20viruses%20without%20cross%20immunity. [Accessed 15 January 2025]

Kularatne, S.A. and Dalugama, C., 2022. Dengue infection: Global importance, immunopathology and management. Clinical Medicine, 22(1), pp.9-13. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470211824030069

Nature, 2024. Dengue Viruses [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/dengue-viruses-22400925/ [Accessed 15 January 2025]

Roy, S.K. and Bhattacharjee, S., 2021. Dengue virus: epidemiology, biology, and disease aetiology. Canadian journal of microbiology, 67(10), pp.687-702. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjm-2020-0572

Stelloh, T., 2016. Aedes Aegypti: Meet the Mosquito Spreading Zika Virus Panic [online] Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/aedes-aegypti-meet-mosquito-spreading-zika-virus-panic-n504026 [Accessed 15 January 2025]

Tayal, A., Kabra, S.K. and Lodha, R., 2023. Management of dengue: an updated review. Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 90(2), pp.168-177. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12098-022-04394-8.pdf

WHO, 2024. Dengue and severe dengue [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue [Accessed 15 January 2025]