HIV and herpes: transmission, characteristics, and public health control

Communicable Diseases

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Communicable diseases

Communicable diseases are also known as infectious diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible disease. They arise from an infection which is the presence and growth of pathogenic agents in a host organism. These pathogenic agents include bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, some parasites, and some deviant proteins known as prions. These agents cause disease epidemics, and if the pathogen is eliminated, the epidemic does not occur.

Transmission of communicable diseases occurs in many ways including physical contact, contaminated food, body fluids, infected objects, airborne inhalation, through vector organisms. Examples of Communicable diseases are Herpes and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

HIV is a member of the retrovirus family. It causes a condition known as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). It is a condition seen in humans where there is a gradual failure of one's immunity and life-threatening opportunistic infection end up thriving.

The major routes of transmission of HIV are unprotected sex with a person who is infected, through breast milk, transmission from an infected mother to her baby during delivery, use of contaminated needles, contact with the blood of an infected person, transmission through blood transfusions or from infected blood products but this has been eliminated by ensuring that blood is screened before transfusion.

Control of these diseases

The public health department has a mission of providing leadership in controlling the spread of communicable diseases. It works with communities and other partners in surveillance, research, monitoring and evaluation of the diseases. For example, the number of people infected or living with HIV is increasing with each new day, and effective new drugs have been discovered to keep HIV-infected persons healthy for longer and also reduce the death rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006()

Prevention of the spread of HIV and Herpes is done by encouraging people to get tested, use of protection while having sexual interactions, having one sexual partner and also protection of unborn children from contracting the disease at birth from an infected mother and use of antiviral drugs. Protection of medical staff also prevents the spread of both diseases. This is a global requirement where medics are encouraged to use gloves and protective gears like masks when handling all patients. For both diseases, vaccines are not available, but they are undergoing trials.

Influence of environmental factors, lifestyles and socioeconomic status

Both HIV and Herpes being sexually transmitted diseases have a certain relationship with the lifestyle of the people who contract the disease. It has shown that people who practice anal sex have a higher risk of contracting the infection. The same applies to people with multiple sexual partners' e.g. commercial sex workers. The HIV / AIDS epidemic is regarded as a socioeconomic problem. The HIV epidemic seems to be influenced by factors that include poverty, cultural aspects e.g. religion and traditions. Very little has been put forth on the influence of environmental factors e.g. weather, policies, physical structures, transportation on HIV or herpesNichols L. et al., 2009()

Disease Management.

There is no cure for Herpes or for HIV. However, HIV is managed by use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, (HAART) which was introduced in 1996. This has been effective and beneficial to many HIV-infected individuals. Herpes usually clears up by itself, but the doctor may give drugs like painkillers to deal with the symptoms or even antiviral tablets so as to prevent the virus from multiplyingCorey L, Wald A, Patel R, & et al., 2004()

Recommendations

Community programs that have aim at surveillance of these diseases should ensure that all information as up-to-date and that the services rendered to the community is relevant and effective. The services should not focus only on curative services but should focus on preventing the diseases and eliminating them in totality.