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Qlt1 Task 1 Essay

Decent Essays

Community Health Assessment
Task 2
Holly Crawford
Western Governors University

Description of Chosen Outbreak Measles is an acute infectious disease occurring mostly in children, characterized by catarrhal and febrile symptoms and an eruption of small red spots; rubella. (Measles, dictionary) In the United States, Measles vaccine is given in early childhood. It is recommended that a child receives two doses of the vaccine before the age of 6 years old. First dose is usually given between the ages of 12 months and 15 months of age in the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. The second dose is usually given between the ages of 4 years and 6 years old. (Measles, CDC)
Epidemiological Determinants Measles is a global disease. …show more content…

It can transfer from person to person through coughing and sneezing since it lives in the throat and nasal cavity. The droplets of the disease can live up to 2 hours in the air. The victim can touch a contaminated surface then touch their eyes, mouth, nose, or breathe in the air and become infected. The infected person can be contagious four days prior or four days after the measles rash appears. (Measles)
Risk Factors Anyone that has not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine is at risk for contracting measles. Other risk factors are vitamin A deficiency and traveling to third world countries. Coming in contact with someone that has this disease can increase your risk as well.
How an Outbreak Can Affect a Community When an outbreak occurs of a disease as contagious as measles, the first response should be to quarantine the affected people. Since measles does not transmit from animals, there is no need to eliminate the animals that may have come into contact with the infected individuals. Clinics need to be set up for those that could have been contaminated and quarantine those individuals as well. Travel needs to be banned to and from the community that has the outbreak declared. With all the quarantines, this will affect the local schools, grocery stores, local businesses, and the overall economic status. The media will be in high demand to help communicate the orders from the local

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