The Activity Community/public health nurses must be knowledgeable of the mandatory reporting requirements of certain infectious diseases and be able to communicate in layperson terms about how to prevent the spread of disease. Infectious diseases can spread in a matter of hours rather than days or months. Diseases such as measles, pertussis, and tuberculosis have now reappeared and the incidences of these diseases are increasing, not only in third world countries, but in the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a government agency whose mission is to protect the health and safety of the people in the United States. One way this is accomplished is by mandating that certain infectious diseases be reported. It is important for nurses to not only be aware of the reportable infectious diseases that could occur in their own community, but also to be aware of the impact of cultural beliefs on health. so culturally-appropriate health education materials can be developed and accepted by the community for which the information was developed.
Terms and Definitions 1. CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose mission is to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the United States. 2. Infectious disease: A disease caused by the entrance of organisms (bacteria, protozoans, fungi or viruses) into the body which grow and multiply. 3. PSA: Public Service Announcement. A message for the public good that is published or aired free of charge from the media. The objective of PSAs is to raise awareness or change public attitude toward a social issue.
Concept Review Questions to help students review the concepts in the material: • Clearly describe the disease and its symptoms. • Give examples of the chain of transmission for the disease. • What are the CDC mandatory reporting requirements for the disease?
Sample Solution