The Significance of Lifestyle and Environmental Data in Outbreak Investigation

Why is information about a patient’s lifestyle and about possible environmental exposures important when investigating an outbreak? A patient’s lifestyle can tell what kind of environment they are in which then tells us what kind of diseases they are exposed to and are at risk of catching. Certain diseases are very contagious and some remain airborne, thus making it easy for one sick person to infect another if in close enough contact. If there are a lot of people in close contact, say like in a college campus, then an outbreak’s cause may be just a few or one sick person that has come in close contact with and infected multiple people.

What medical interventions can be used to treat and contain the outbreak of an infectious disease? The interventions that can be used to treat and contain the outbreak of an infectious disease are: genetics, pharmacology, diagnostics, immunology, and medical devices. In order to figure out what the disease is, scientists must identify the source through genetics, diagnostics.

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In order to do this, certain medical devices are used, such as a PCR. Then when found physicians can use pharmacology to prescribe a medicinal treatment for the disease. Since now doctors know the source of the disease, they might be able to vaccinate those people in the environment that are at risk of catching it.

What do you think is the most likely cause of Sue’s illness? Provide evidence to support your theory. I believe that the cause of Sue’s illness is the bacteria Neisseria meningitis.

After isolating and analyzing the pathogen DNA sequence, its match was very similar to that of Neisseria meningitis. After researching the symptoms of the disease, the symptoms it has on its victims are almost completely identical to that of Sue’s. Meningitis causes fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, Muscle pain, and sleepiness or confusion. Those symptoms match those of Sue and those around her that I believe she has infected.