Biostatistics and Epidemiology week 1
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Week 1 Assignment
For Week 1, I want you to search the internet for current and/or trending stories that you feel reflect or impact the field of epidemiology.For the forum this week, I want you to search the internet for current and/or trending stories that you feel reflect or impact the field of epidemiology. For this post do not use postings from Pro-MED digest but instead do a Google or social media trend search, etc. You will need locate 3 unique stories for this forum post.
Resources _ Video attached is the resource
Sample Week 1 Discussion Post
Current trending topics that can be applicable to the field of epidemiology are vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, and the opioid epidemic. I believe vaccine hesitancy is a threat to public health because it is becoming more prevalent in our society and could lead to the re-emergence of infectious diseases that have already been eliminated in our country. Vaccine opposition is a growing trend due to concerns that autism could be linked to vaccinations. It is important to note that diseases like measles and whooping cough have made a recent comeback since this trend began in the nineties. Finding a solution to improve immunization adherence is imperative to aid in the fight of preventable infectious diseases.
Another growing epidemic of concern is antibiotic resistance. New antibiotic resistant mechanisms continue to emerge and are spreading globally. Antibiotic resistance is affecting the treatment of common infectious diseases and therefore threatens public health. More importantly, antibiotic resistance is a natural process and current misuse in humans and animals is helping escalate the natural occurrence. Public health is at risk due to the mortality associated with the infectious diseases developing resistance to antibiotics such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, gonorrhea, and foodborne diseases. As a result, a growing health crisis is occurring, because these diseases are becoming more difficult to treat and, in some instances, impossible.
Last but certainly not least, the opioid epidemic is a trending topic of interest because of the rise of infectious diseases that are related to opioid drug use. Intravenous and oral opioid drug users are susceptible to bloodborne or opportunistic infectious diseases. New research data is indicating that orally administered opioids have immunosuppressive properties leading to public health concerns because prescription opioids have highly addictive properties. Opioid addiction can happen to anyone. Individuals can become addicted to opioids after having them prescribed. Oral opioid abuse has been linked to staphylococcal infections, group A strep infections, pneumococcal and Candida infections. Many opioid addicts turn to illicit drug use by either using black market opioids or the cheaper, more potent version known as heroin. Heroin and other opioid abuse increase drug tolerance levels thus, requiring more of the drug to feel “high”, often leading to a bigger problem of intravenous drug use. Opioid drug use can diminish, and cease breathing, leading to imminent death. Opioid intravenous drug users can contract Hepatitis B, C, or A, HIV, or MRSA bloodstream infections including cellulitis at injection site. Public health officials can positively impact this growing epidemic via education on the dangers of opioid abuse and ways to recognize and reverse overdose. Knowing dangers, signs, and symptoms of opioid abuse can be lifesaving. Education is imperative to aid in the fight against opioid abuse and all public health issues and concerns.
Also Read: Nursing Writing Services
https://www.who.int/news-room/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.
https://www.addictioncenter.
https://www.hiv.gov/blog/
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