Essay Example on Measures of Morbidity and Mortality Whooping Cough Candace

Measures of Morbidity and Mortality Whooping Cough Candace Introduction to EpidemiologyAbstract Whooping cough also known as pertussis is a respiratory infection that is caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria It is seen mostly in babies and young children and can be deadly if left untreated Whooping cough spreads very easily and very quickly through the air and since some symptoms are mild many don't even realize they are infected It can affect anyone of any age and can be passed around in households daycares schools workplaces and other public places A vaccine is available and is effective in helping prevent infection and if infected keeping symptoms mild and healing time short Measures of Morbidity and Mortality Whooping Cough Whooping cough also known as pertussis is a respiratory infection that is seen mostly in babies and children However it can affect all ages and races In the case of Fallsburg Elementary School 25 students have received the DTaP Diphtheria Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine out of a total of 60 students This means that 35 students 58 are still a part of the population at risk for infection Pertussis can appear as a cold and because of that can be commonly diagnosed improperly at first However after a week or two the infection will progress and more severe symptoms will present in the form of a high pitched cough possible vomiting after coughing fits and feeling tired after coughing as well CDC 2016a Population at Risk In this case population at risk means the number of people within a given population who are more likely to be exposed to infection or danger Those who have not received the DTaP vaccine are at greater risk 

Therefore incidence is the number of newly diagnosed cases of a disease An incidence rate is the number of new cases of a disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease If over the course of one year five women are diagnosed with breast cancer out of a total female study population of 200 who do not have breast cancer at the beginning of the study period then we would say the incidence of breast cancer in this population was 0 025 or 2 500 per 100 000 women years of study NY gov 1999 Prevalence is defined by the CDC as the proportion of persons in a population who have a particular disease or attribute at a specified point in time or over a specified period of time CDC 2012 The CDC goes on to explain that prevalence varies from incidence because incidence only includes new cases while prevalence includes all cases new and old Conclusion Pertussis is a harmful infection that can be easily prevented if everyone is proactive with vaccinations It is especially important to vaccinate all family members if there are babies in the home Babies are affected very quickly and more severely due to their weak immune systems Early prevention and preparation is key References CDC 2012 May 18 Lesson 3 Measures of Risk Retrieved January 23 2018 from https www cdc gov ophss csels dsepd ss1978 lesson3 section2 html CDC 2016a December 15 For Parents Vaccines for Your Children Retrieved January 23 2018 from https www cdc gov vaccines parents diseases child pertussis html CDC 2016b November 22 Vaccines and Preventable Diseases Retrieved January 23 2018 from https www cdc gov vaccines vpd dtap tdap td public index html CDC 2017 August 07 Pertussis Whooping Cough Retrieved January 22 2018 from https www cdc gov pertussis about signs symptoms html NY gov 1999 April Department of Health Retrieved January 23 2018 from https www health ny gov diseases chronic basicstat htm