Prevention of Influenza Epidemic

2012

Presentation to Cooinda Region Health Services

Group 16.4Renee Gill, Breanna Lee, Hilda Siow,

Alison Mok, Isabelle Batty, Kyung Hee Kim (Deborah)

Problems and Aims• PROBLEMS• INFLENZA – a new strain of the

virus is has developed• INFLUENZA has the potential to

have high levels of fatality among those who are infected

• We need to control the spread of the virus to reduce risk of outbreak

• Epidemics may be controlled or prevented using public health interventions.

AIMS•Focus on influenza and its effects•Explain the history of Influenza•Explain the biological characteristics of the virus and the body’s defence to this.•Discuss the environmental factors contributing to the spread of the disease•Advise of the common vulnerable groups•Recommend strategies to reduce spread•Advise people of Cooinda Region Health Services of an outbreak management plan in case of an epidemic.

‘The Great Pandemic’

Past Pandemic• Belief that influenza was

caused by bacteria rather than virus meant that there was no vaccine readily available.

• Scientists and physicians did however understand the spread of influenza : Cover coughs and sneezes, face masks, no spitting.

• Politicians and physicians believed the spread of the disease could be contained by quarantines and bans on public gatherings.

Current practice• New knowledge = vaccine• Still encouraged to cough into

elbow etc.• Analysis of how American cities

responded to the influenza of 1918 suggests that limiting human interactions may have saved tens of thousands of lives. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201628.html)

• http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/index.htm

Environmental Factors • Density and Increase in human population• Larger and denser populations provide for easier and quicker transmission.• • Close proximity of animals• Humans are being exposed to a wide range of diseases and infections that are carried by domestic animals• • Human effects on the ecosystem• The ecosystem acts as a barrier for diseases between humans, animals and plants. The alteration of these

ecosystems allows diseases to spread between the three categories.• • As applicable to the Cooinda community:• ‘Recently there has been a growth in population due to an increase in babies born and additional migrants

moving to the area.’ (From Cooinda community profile)• • As applicable to the Cooinda community:• ‘Major features of Cooinda include … the Cooinda Live Stock Exchange,• Employment opportunities within Cooinda and the central lakes district exist in… agriculture.’ (From

Cooinda community profile)• • • As applicable to the Cooinda community:• ‘Rural land is used mainly for diary, market gardens, forest plantations and mixed farming.’ (From Cooinda

community profile)