The Issues of Epidemiology - Essay Example

Epidemiology EPIDEMIOLOGY Epidemiology can be defined as the study of determinants and distribution of health related events or states, which also include disease, and the use of this study to control health problems like diseases. Various methods can be utilized to perform epidemiological investigations. For example, descriptive studies and surveillance can be used for the study of distribution; with analytical studies utilized for the study of determinants. Major areas of study are investigation of outbreaks, screening and surveillance of disease, bi monitoring, and comparison of clinical trial treatment effects. The professionals in this field rely on biostatistics, biology, disciplines of social science, and assessment of exposure. Epidemiologists involve themselves in study design, data collection, statistical analysis of the data collected, and interpretation of the results, as well as the distribution of the results. This dissemination can be done in systematic reviews, which are occasional, and peer reviewed articles. It helps to inform institutions on policy decisions and medicine that is evidence based via the identification of disease risk factors and preventive medicine targets. This paper aims to take two case studies and address how epidemiology was concerned with efforts to describe, explain, predict, and control the examples. Anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis and has been known for more than a few thousand years (Preston, 2002). The causative organism was first described in the 1850s and was used as poof by Koch of Henle’s postulates. The first anthrax vaccines were developed by Toussiant and Greenfield, and the public demonstration was handled by Louis Pasteur in the year 1881 (Preston, 2002). The two vaccines exist in both human and animal form. Bacillus anthracis is a Gram-positive, spore forming, capsulated rod and survives by killing other cells. Its spores can survive for decades in the environment. Its pathogenicity depends on the pX01 and the pX02 plasmids, and it has two key strains. Strain A is found all over the world, while strain B is limited essentially to the southern part of Africa (Preston, 2002). Anthrax acts on the body cells by releasing toxins (Preston, 2002). PA or protective antigen binds itself to the receptor of the host cell, after which furin cleaves off and lets PA20 go free. PA83 undergoes heptamer formation with the enzymes acting as toxin binding to PA63. It is internalized into the cell via endocytosis that is receptor mediated. Acidification of this endosome is causes there to be insertion of a membrane at PA63. After this, there is translocation into the cytosol of toxic enzymes like oedema factor, OF, or lethal factor, LF (Preston, 2002). This is what causes the various symptoms associated with anthrax. The patient in the case study had his eyes half open, and a bluish colour was all over his face. The patient did not show any signs of skin/ cutaneous anthrax. When his chest was opened up, bloody fluid gushed from beneath his ribs, and his chest revealed further engorgement with this fluid. A red liquid when going further into his lungs and heart obscured the two organs. The victim’s nodes were larger than normal, size of a plum and were purplish-black, large, and shiny. On cutting into them, they were soft and fragile and their interior was haemorrhage saturated. This showed that the spores had come from the air into his lungs (Preston, 2002). Before the anthrax death occurred, there was a concerted effort to estimate the level of contamination in Steven’s workplace and around the city (Preston, 2002). A task force started by telephoning labs and emergency rooms to try and ascertain whether any respiratory illnesses that were unexplained might be related to anthrax. This showed up another man who had only crossed paths with Stevens in the American Media building. This narrowed down the point source of anthrax, and the CDC swabbed the building. The swabs were transferred to agar Petri dishes after swabbing, where colonies grew. Another swab was done on the mail bin at the news agency that Stevens worked, for and they found it was contaminated and that the anthrax had come in through the mail (Preston, 2002). Control of anthrax infection can be done by early detection of the anthrax’s source, which gives the authorities time to put preventative measures in place (Preston, 2002). A BioDetection System installed in the mail collection centres would pick up any signs of anthrax contamination. Infected persons should also be taken to quarantine facilities and all people they have met be placed in different quarantine rooms for observation. Staff at various hospitals should also be alerted to the possibility of anthrax patients seeking help. An extensive development program and research for weapon grade plague and smallpox, including the MIRV missiles and the means to deliver them to over sea countries took place unnoticed and monitored (Preston, 2002). This happened in the Soviet Union twenty years after smallpox was totally in the year 1978. The information about the twenty tons of genetically modified smallpox is not currently well understood. Defecting Russian scientist asserts that even Soviet researchers do not know where these twenty tons of genetically altered smallpox were taken (Preston, 2002). They, however, believe that it was taken to North Korea. Some even believe that Iran and Iraq benefited from this research and active bio-weapons research programs. In this book, Preston is mainly interested in describing people who are focused on fighting potential biological terrorism in this nation, and this gives him a human face to this scaring activity, while his presentation of the people who fought for their lives in the world’s current cases of smallpox makes this scene a more reality. His description of the resent anthrax outbreak and the means through which it was spread provides further understanding of how diseases such as plague, Ebola, and anthrax outbreak and spread (Preston, 2002). In conclusion, Preston, in this book, strives to enlightened his readers to acknowledge the new art of war. He claims this is one of the newest forms of war, which is uncontrollable, and more lethal than ever before in history. He also describes the unpredictable nature of human life, particularly, in the twenty-first century. He believes micro- and macro-organisms, which are the smallest living organism, can be used to wipe out the entire human population if they find their ways into the hands of terrorists and other lunatics. Reference Preston R. (2002). The Demon in the Freezer. Random House: New York. Read More