Summary
Anthrax, a serious breathing illness, is forcing air currents out of Midwesterners, sending dozens of people to the doctors’ offices. The victims are wheezing and gasping for breath and more people are being infected. Researchers begin the investigation by speaking with Zeke, who was the first victim to learn what he used to be before becoming ill. Zeke stated that he began wheezing and feeling super tired shortly after leading a soundtrack training course for 50 participants at a Chicago music venue. He suspected he had caught the illness from one of the learners in the classroom or that he had managed to catch it on a return flight from Africa two days before. The agent that is responsible for the outbreak is highly probable to have been released at the music festival.
Agent Responsible for the Breathless Outbreak in the Midwest
Anthrax is a dangerous disease caused by the bacterial Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is not spreadable. Individuals cannot catch it from some other individual in the same way that one can catch a bad cold. Anthrax can be commonly found in soil normally and can infect domestic and wild animals such as livestock, sheep, and goats (Figueiredo, 2019). When living things consume spores (bacteria) from polluted soil, they are often ill. People can become infected with Anthrax by managing diseased animal protein or inhaling anthrax spores from animal foods. People can also become infected with Anthrax by eating raw meat from infected animals or being subjected to pathogens by bioterrorists.
Overview of the Condition
The outbreak took place at different locations in the United States; Chicago, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Milwaukee. A total number of fifteen individuals were infected, and emergency centers reported fifteen hospitalizations (CDC, 2022). In addition to that, there were seven reported deaths of the outbreak victims. These people have frequented emergency departments in the last two days with complaints of mild fever, tiredness, chest tightness, heart palpitations, and breathing difficulties. Numerous deaths have already occurred, and more people are on the brink of death.
Current Condition of Breathless in the U.S
The situation in the United States is getting worse every day. There has been an unexpectedly high number of kids with coughs, colds, and breathing difficulties this season (Denny et al., 2018). This is according to Rachel Wolfson, an acute inpatient general practitioner who treats sick people at the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Infirmary, in which the eleven Illinois reports were recognized (CDC, 2022). Wolfson explains that some of the children in her care required only nasal spray remedies, while others were significantly more ill (CDC, 2022). The lungs of one patient were in a such horrible condition that medics had to attach them to a blood oxygen generator.
Epidemiologic Triangle
In this part of the work, the principle of disease transition between the agent, host, and environment, also called the epidemiological triangle, is revealed. Anthrax is a deadly contagious disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a gram-positive, rod-shaped pathogen. It is found naturally in the soil and frequently harms both animals and food worldwide. Fungal spores of the disease can survive in the ground or meat feed, such as dehydrated or filtered animal skin and shearling for centuries. Spores can also stay alive in water for at least two years, dairy milk for a decade, and silk fibers for up to seventy-one years.
Anthrax can make individuals sick if they come into the consumption of contaminated food or infected animal protein. Jungle or domestic livestock, such as sheep, livestock, ponies, and heifers, are prevalent hosts for Anthrax, as defensive antigens from anthrax toxin hijack receptor molecules. Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming bacterial infection that can sustain in harsh environments for long periods, causes Anthrax. When the pathogen enters a host immune system of a mammal, the spores germinate, rapidly distributing pathogens to the blood system.
Initiatives that Community Health Nurses Can Undertake to Prevent Re-Occurrence
Patients with isolated epidermal Anthrax who do not have institutional participation or difficulties can be handled as outpatients with antibacterial drug standard treatment. Individuals presumably infected must wash with soap and warm water rather than detergent solutions; garments and proof should indeed be put into three plastic shopping bags. If pathogens are proven, a 1:10 dilution of domestic bleach may be used to disinfect any components or surfaces that have not been sufficiently scrubbed by soap and warm water.
Whenever the case of disease is revealed, one must inform community medical officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of issues reported. Additionally, a discussion with an infectious diseases specialist might be justified, though diagnosing patients with Anthrax is relatively simple. Individuals can lower their risk of Anthrax infection by being immunized. The BioThrax vaccine is the only FDA-approved anthrax vaccination. It is a five-dose vaccine sequence managed over an extended time when used as a preventive action. Products suspected of possessing biological agents are subject to special surveillance by or government.