Communicable Disease: Hepatitis B

¶ … epidemiology nursing research a communicable disease. Communicable Disease Selection Choose communicable disease list: 1. Chickenpox 2. Tuberculosis 3. Influenza 4.

Communicable diseases according to (Copstead & Banasik, 2010) is a condition or infection that is transmissible through coming into contact with an infected person. Contact with the infected person comprises of contact with an infected person bodily fluids (blood, saliva, or mucus), droplets, and/or air or food (Copstead & Banasik, 2010). Coming into contact in any of the above ways contributes to individual's illness. The pathogens transmitted through the body fluids and air encroaches upon the body compromising the normal functioning of body cells. This compromise may have differing impacts upon an individual's health ranging from a terminal illness to death.

Hepatitis BCommunicable Disease: Hepatitis B

Communicable diseases are diseases that can be transmitted via contact, droplet, air/food borne, blood, bodily fluids or congenital infection and cause individuals to become ill. The pathogens invade the body and damage normal cell functions, which could potentially cause death. Hepatitis B has infected over 200 billion people worldwide and killed over one million individuals per year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2013). The hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be prevented through education, spreading awareness and getting vaccinated which provides a lifetime of protection.

Over 200 billion people since the first case have been diagnosed with Hepatitis B in the world over. The number of individuals said to have suffered the demise following Hepatitis B infections stand at over one million per year (World Health Organization, 2013). Through awareness creation, education and vaccination spread of Hepatitis B is preventable. Vaccination is the ultimate measure of protection since it offers a lifetime protection from accusations of the virus causing the condition resulting to Hepatitis B (World Health Organization, 2013).

Description of Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. Acute HBV lasts less than six months and ones immune system is able to fight and clear the infection. Chronic HBV lasts longer than six months and the immune system is unable to fight the infection leading to liver failure, cancer or cirrhosis. Occasionally chronic HBV can go undetected for years due to a person being asymptomatic (Mayo Clinic, 2011).

Mode of Hepatitis B is a virus-caused the infection that attacks an individual's Liver and causing illness ranging from acute to chronic levels. The virus causing Hepatitis B is the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and once in the body system on individual it can go undetected for a lengthy period of years. The two types of illnesses (acute and chronic) differ considering the length of time a normal body immune system takes to fight and clear the infection. In the case of Acute HBV, the body's immune system is capable of fighting and clearing the infection in less than six months. For the case of Chronic HBV, the body immune system is unable to fight the condition in less than six months. The resulting situation from the body system failure to fight the infection is cancer, liver failure or cirrhosis. In occasional cases, HBV will likely go undetected for a number of years following an individual being an asymptomatic person (Mayo Clinic, 2011)

Transmission Mode

In highly infected areas of the world, HBV is most commonly spread from mother to her baby at birth or from person to person in early childhood (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). The HBV is also spread via parenteral contact with infected blood or blood products, sharing of or accidental needle sticks and having unprotected sex with someone who's blood, saliva, semen or vaginal secretions are infected and enter your body (Copstead and Banasik, 2010).

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of HBV may never appear or appear over a two to six-month period. Signs and symptoms include abdominal pain, dark urine, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weakness, fatigue and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and/or sclera) (Mayo Clinic, 2011).

The most prevalent mode of transmission of HBV is from the mother to child at childbirth or from one person to the other in early (World Health Organization, 2013). Exposure to infected blood following parenteral procedure, bodily fluid exchange, sharing syringe and accidental needle sticks serve as other means of contracting HBV. Infection through bodily fluid exchanges may occur by having unprotected sex with an infected person. In this case the saliva, vaginal secretions and semen act as carriers to the HBV (Copstead & Banasik, 2010).

Signs and Symptoms

The recognizable symptoms and signs of HBV include: dark urine, joint pains, Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or sclera), abdominal pains, fatigue, weakness, fever, appetite loss, Nausea and vomiting, (Mayo Clinic, 2011).These symptoms and signs are not necessarily observable in the early stages of infection. However, as the infection continues to spread in the person's body some of the symptoms and signs are likely to come out clearly (Mayo Clinic, 2011).

Complications

Having chronic HBV can lead to serious life threatening complications such as; cirrhosis, liver cancer, failure, hepatitis D infection or kidney failure. Liver cirrhosis occurs when HBV causes inflammation to the liver leading to scaring and formation of fibrotic cell tissue that blocks hepatic blood flow and cell function. This in turn results in overgrowth of new cells attempting to regenerate causing decreased liver function. Liver cancer and failure can occur if a patient has cirrhosis due to being a risk factor (Copstead and Banasik, 2010).

In the case HBV infection is chronic it means that the body's natural capability to fight disease is incapacitated. In this case, life-threatening complications are observable including liver cancer, liver failure, cirrhosis, Hepatitis D infection, and potential kidney failure. When HBV induces inflammation to the liver, liver cirrhosis occurs. The inflammation leads to the formation of scars and fibrotic cell tissue blocking hepatic cell function and blood flow. An overgrowth of new cells trying to regenerate results in a reduction in liver function (Copstead & Banasik, 2010). The result is liver failure that will come about since the patient is a risk factor due to Cirrhosis (Copstead & Banasik, 2010).

Treatment

Treatment of HBV is supportive. Care focuses on nutrition, hydration and comfort (WHO, 2013). Those who have been infected with acute HBV may not need medical treatment except for management of symptoms. Those infected with chronic HBV may need more invasive treatments like antiviral medications or possibly a liver transplant (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Antiviral medications are used to slow and fight the virus from destructing the liver. Liver transplants are an option if a patient has end-stage liver disease where traditional treatments have not worked and are from a qualified candidate (Copstead and Banasik, 2010).

Ideal treatment to a person with HBV should mainly focus on hydration, nutrition and comfort (World Health Organization, 2013).An Individual diagnosed as infected with acute HBV may need only some measures to manage the symptoms and not necessarily treatment. Treatment is however, needful to those infected with chronic HBV. More invasive treatments like antiviral medications or possibly a liver transplant may be ideal for individuals diagnosed with chronic HBV. (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Antiviral medications serve to slow and fight the virus from destructing the liver. Liver transplant is an option where the patient is unresponsive to treatment and medication for end-stage liver disease and a qualified liver donor is identified (Copstead & Banasik, 2010).