Why infectious diseases are considered to be threat to public health

Many challenges exist worldwide that increase the risk that outbreaks will occur
and spread rapidly, including the emerging pathogens, infectious diseases represent
a continuous and increasing threat to human health and welfare. Despite the
availability of antibiotics and vaccines against many of the causative pathogens,
the mortality rates remain high. Several factors contribute to the emergence and
re-emergence of infectious diseases, but most can be linked with the increasing
number of people living and moving on earth, rapid and intense international
travel, overcrowding in cities with poor sanitation, changes in handling and
processing of large quantities of food.
There are three things that are necessary for an infection to occur. First is
Source such as Places where infectious agents (germs) live, example of it are
sinks, surfaces, human skin and etc. Second, Susceptible Person with a way for
germs to enter the body. Third, Transmission, a way germs are moved to the
susceptible person. There are several modes of disease transmission. These modes of
transmission are, Contact (direct and/or indirect), Droplet, Airborne, Vector and
Common Vehicle. The portal of entry is the means by which the infectious
microorganisms gains access into the new host. This can occur, for example, through
ingestion, breathing, or skin puncture.

Chain of Infection
Certain conditions must be met in order for a microbe or infectious disease to be
spread from person to person. This process is known as the chain of infection. More
specifically, transmission occurs when the agent leaves its reservoir or host
through a portal of exit, is conveyed by some mode of transmission, and enters
through an appropriate portal of entry to infect a susceptible host.
Chain of Infection has six parts and it includes the infectious agent, reservoir,
portal of exit, means of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.
Infectious Agent – microorganism (e.g. virus, bacteria, or fungi)
Reservoir (source) – a host which allows the microorganism to live, and possibly
grow, and multiply. Humans, animals and the environment can all be reservoirs for
microorganisms.
Portal of Exit – a path for the microorganism to escape from the host. This can
happen through the mouth, if a person coughs or sneezes, through a cut, if a person
is bleeding, during diaper changes or toileting.
Mode of Transmission – how the infectious agent is transmitted from one person to
another. It can be in the form of droplets, direct or indirect contact, or through
airborne transmission.
Portal of Entry – a place for the microorganism to get into a new host, similar to
the portal of exit.
Susceptible Host – it’s either a baby, an elderly person or someone with a weakened
immune system that is susceptible to the infectious agent.
If any of the links are broken then the infection will not occur.

Epidemiological Triad
The Epidemiological Triad is one of the traditional models for depicting disease
causation, but is by far the simplest of them all. The triad is used to determine
the cause of infectious diseases, non-infectious diseases, and accidents or
injuries. It considers the interaction between the external agent, the susceptible
host, and the environment. Used as an epidemiological tool, the triad is utilized
to determine all factors internal and external to the host (the human), making them
more susceptible to the agent (the “germ”), and has been used for decades to
determine specific factors contributing to disease.
The epidemiologic triangle is made up of three parts: agent, host and environment.
Agent
The agent is the microorganism that actually causes the disease in question. An
agent could be some form of bacteria, virus, fungus, or parasite.
Host
The agent infects the host, which is the organism that carries the disease. A host
doesn’t necessarily get sick; hosts can act as carriers for an agent without
displaying any outward symptoms of the disease. Hosts get sick or carry an agent
because some part of their physiology is hospitable or attractive to the agent.
Environment
Outside factors can affect an epidemiologic outbreak as well; collectively these
are referred to as the environment. The environment includes any factors that
affect the spread of the disease but are not directly a part of the agent or the
host. For example, the temperature in a given location might affect an agent’s
ability to thrive, as might the quality of drinking water or the accessibility of
adequate medical facilities.

Disease Process
Diseases are generally understood to be medical conditions that involve a
pathological process associated with a specific set of symptoms. Localized diseases
affect specific parts of the body; disseminated diseases spread to other parts of
the body; and systemic diseases affect the entire body. There are four main types
of disease: infectious diseases, deficiency diseases, hereditary diseases
(including both genetic diseases and non-genetic hereditary diseases), and
physiological diseases. The four aspects of a disease process that form the core of
pathological process are its cause (etiology), the mechanisms of its development
(pathogenesis), the structural alterations induced in the cells and proceed organs
of the body (morphologic changes), and the functional consequences of the
morphologic changes.
The five periods of disease (sometimes referred to as stages or phases) include the
incubation, prodromal, illness, decline, and convalescence periods. The incubation
period occurs in an acute disease after the initial entry of the pathogen into the
host (patient). It is during this time the pathogen begins multiplying in the host.
However, there are insufficient numbers of pathogen particles (cells or viruses)
present to cause signs and symptoms of disease. Incubation periods can vary from a
day or two in acute disease to months or years in chronic disease, depending upon
the pathogen. Factors involved in determining the length of the incubation period
are diverse, and can include strength of the pathogen, strength of the host immune
defenses, site of infection, type of infection, and the size infectious dose
received. During this incubation period, the patient is unaware that a disease is
beginning to develop.
The prodromal period occurs after the incubation period. During this phase, the
pathogen continues to multiply and the host begins to experience general signs and
symptoms of illness, which typically result from activation of the immune system,
such as fever, pain, soreness, swelling, or inflammation. Usually, such signs and
symptoms are too general to indicate a particular disease. Following the prodromal
period is the period of illness, during which the signs and symptoms of disease are
most obvious and severe.
The period of illness is followed by the period of decline, during which the number
of pathogen particles begins to decrease, and the signs and symptoms of illness
begin to decline. However, during the decline period, patients may become
susceptible to developing secondary infections because their immune systems have
been weakened by the primary infection. The final period is known as the period of
convalescence. During this stage, the patient generally returns to normal
functions, although some diseases may inflict permanent damage that the body cannot
fully repair.

Variety of Immunity
Immunity is your body's ability to recognize germs to prevent them from causing
illness. The immune system's job is to help identify and eliminate dangerous germs
that enter the body before they can cause disease or damage. There are three types
of immunity — innate, adaptive, and passive:

Innate immunity: Everyone is born with innate (or natural) immunity, a type of
general protection. For example, the skin acts as a barrier to block germs from
entering the body. And the immune system recognizes when certain invaders are
foreign and could be dangerous.
Adaptive immunity: Adaptive (or active) immunity develops throughout our lives. We
develop adaptive immunity when we're exposed to diseases or when we're immunized
against them with vaccines.
Passive immunity: Passive immunity is "borrowed" from another source and it lasts
for a short time. For example, antibodies in a mother's breast milk give a baby
temporary immunity to diseases the mother has been exposed to.

Inflammatory Response
The inflammatory response (inflammation) occurs when tissues are injured by
bacteria, trauma, toxins, heat, or any other cause. The damaged cells release
chemicals including histamine, bradykinin, and prostaglandins. These chemicals
cause blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues, causing swelling. Inflammation
is a biological response of the immune system that can be triggered by a variety of
factors, including pathogens, damaged cells and toxic compounds.
The are three main stages of inflammation which can each vary in intensity and
duration: Acute -swelling stage. Sub-acute – regenerative stage. Chronic – scar
tissue maturation and remodelling stage.
Inflammation is a very prominent response to TNF-α. There are four typical signs of
inflammation: erythema (redness), heat, swelling, and pain. These are a consequence
of increased blood flow and capillary permeability, the influx of phagocytic cells,
and tissue damage.
The goals of the inflammatory response are to: Prevent initial establishment of
infection or remove damaged tissue. Prevent the spread of infection or repair
damaged tissue. Recruit effector cells if the immune cells of the innate immune
system cannot control infection or repair damaged tissue.

Precautionary Measure
To take preventative, anticipatory actions in order to be safe. noun. As a
precautionary measure, I save my files on three different USB keys. It's an action
I take to prevent anything dangerous happening.