An epidemic refers to the sudden occurrence of an infectious disease thereby spreading rapidly and rising above the expected level or what is expected in that particular population in that area. For example, the occurrence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 is an example of an epidemic that resulted in the death of about 800 individuals worldwide (Dicker, Coronado, Koo, & Parrish, 2006). On the other hand, pandemic refers to a global disease outbreak or an epidemic that has spread across several nations or continents, normally affecting a large number of people. For example, Spanish influenza that resulted in the global death of between 40 to 50 million people in 1918 as well as HIV/AIDs (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2015). Finally, Dicker, Coronado, Koo and Parrish (2006) defines an endemic as an ongoing, typical, or persistent presence of an infectious disease in a specific population meaning the disease prevail consistently in that region. For example, although influenza mimics a seasonal trend with the highest number of infections being reported in the winter months, its pattern is considered endemic if it is consistent from year to year.
A current epidemic is the 2018 Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Kivu, DRC where the death toll currently stands at 374 (Claude, Underschultz, & Hawkes, 2018). According to Claude, Underschultz, and Hawkes (2018), educating public on EVD as well as closing borders to prevent people from traveling out of the infected countries are some of the primary preventions that could be applied to control the epidemic. Besides, ensuring individuals already infected with the virus are diagnosed as early as possible to increase their chances of survival as well as using the concepts of quarantine to prevent the infected individuals from spreading the Ebola virus to the uninfected population is another secondary prevention that could be applied to control the epidemic. Furthermore, tertiary prevention could be applied to control the epidemic through working with the infected population to prolong their life as well as improve their quality of life by managing symptoms to beat Ebola.
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The MMWR report plays an important role in providing consistent and long-term statistics as well as indicating the changes in trend. Besides, the information published is objective, timely, accurate, authoritative, and reliable. The MMWR contains data and information on specific infectious diseases as reported by territorial and state health departments and reports on environmental hazards, chronic diseases, intentional and unintentional injuries, occupational diseases and injuries, and human or natural-generated disasters (CDC, 2019). Furthermore, the reports contain data and information on matters of international interest as well as events notices of importance to the public health community.
In December 2017 seven cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were reported. On day zero patients who had been previously discharged from NICU 30 days ago are readmitted for respiratory distress. The symptoms started to manifest on day 11 for some patients and 15 days for other patients after exposure to the virus. The symptoms include tachycardia, nasal congestion, cough, tachypnea, poor feeding, and rhinorrhea (CDC, 2019). Like any other viral disease, the infectious disease in the film is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected hosts such as blood, saliva, sweat, etc. or fomites. Finally, the report is descriptive epidemiology because it seeks to define the incidence of a disease regarding person, place, and time.
References
CDC. (2019). Notes from the Field: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — Louisiana, December 2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) , 68(1);20–21. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6801a5.htm?s_cid=mm6801a5_w
Dicker, R., Coronado, F., Koo, D., & Parrish, R. G. (2006). Principles of epidemiology in public health practice. Atlanta GA: US Department of Health and Human Services .
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2015). Public health nursing-e-book: Population-centered health care in the community . Elsevier Health Sciences.
Claude, K. M., Underschultz, J., & Hawkes, M. T. (2018). Ebola virus epidemic in war-torn eastern DR Congo. The Lancet , 392 (10156), 1399-1401.
