The Cycle Of Infection

The cycle of infection is a good understanding of how infections occur and how they are permitted in the population and how they are spread. The five elements that make p the cycle are:

1. Reservoir host
2. Means of exit
3. Means of transmission
4. Means of entrance
5. Susceptible host

Reservoir Host is an animal, insect, or human whose body is capable of sustaining the growth of a pathogen. Presence of the pathogen in the reservoir host may cause an infection in the host. A human carrier is reservoir host who is unaware of the presence of the pathogen and so spreads the disease. An infection in the reservoir host may either be endogenous infection which is one in which an abnormality or malfunction in routine body process has caused normally beneficial or harmless microorganisms to become pathogenic or exogenous infection is one that is caused by the introduction of a pathogen from outside the body.

Means of Exit is the pathogens exiting from the reservoir host. Common routes:

• Nose,mouth,eyes, or ears
• Feces or urine
• semen,vaginal fluid, or other discharge through the reproductive tract
• In blood or blood products from open wounds

Means of Transmission is reproduced after it has exited from the reservoir host, pathogen must spread to another host by some mean of transmission either by direct or indirect. Direct transmission occurs when the pathogen moves immediately from one host to another. Indirect transmission is possible only if the pathogen is capable of existing independently of the reservoir host.

• Airborne Transmission- can be transmitted to a new host through the air. May enter through respiratory track such as influenza or flu
• Bloodborne Transmission- can enter a new host through contact with blood or blood products. Indirectly through needle sticks,blood transfusions or improperly sterilized dental equipment
• Transmission during Pregnancy or Birth-If mother become infected during her pregnancy she can pass on the pathogen to her fetus. An infection that is present in a child at the time of birth is said to be congenital
• Foodborne Transmission-May be exposed to pathogens by ingesting contaminated food or liquids. Food can be infected by poor hygiene habits.

Means of Entrance The opening where an infectious disease enters the host’s body such as mucus membranes, open wounds, or tubes inserted in body cavities like urinary catheters or feeding tubes.

Susceptible Host The person who is at risk for developing an infection from the disease. Several factors make a person
more susceptible to disease including age (young people and elderly people generally are more at risk),
underlying chronic diseases such as diabetes or asthma, conditions that weaken the immune system like
HIV, certain types of medications, invasive devices like feeding tubes, and malnutrition.

5 Laboratory Hazards and How you can best avoid them

1. Familiarize with Material Safety Data Sheet
2. Store chemicals in an appropriate storage facility
3. Put chemicals in their allocated positions when they are not in used
4. Keep chemicals in their original containers
5. Dispose chemicals in environmental friendly manner

The best way to prevent lab accidents is to be prepared and knowledgeable about what you are
working with, be it equipment, chemicals or biological materials. Having a range of knowledge for
each type or chemical/biological class of hazard you will work with, in advance, is what I call a
“working understanding” of your environment in the lab. A working understanding for prevention of lab accidents and incidents is developed by learning how
to recognize and evaluate hazards, evaluate risks of those hazards, elimination / minimization of identified risks and by attention tasks being performed.

Microbiology Disease

What is Strep Throat???
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat which is also known as streptococcal pharyngitis. Strep throat is contagious and of left untreated, it can cause serious and life-threatening complications.

Causes:
Streptococcal bacteria are highly contagious. They can spread through airborne droplets when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes, or through shared food or drinks. You can also pick up the bacteria from a doorknob or other surface and transfer them to your nose, mouth or eyes.

Signs and Symptoms:

• raw, scratchy feeling of the throat
• enlarged, painful tonsils
• skin rash
• fever
• difficulty in swallowing
• drooling- more often seen in young children
• swollen and painful lymph nodes of the neck

Treatment

Once strep throat is diagnosed, antibiotics are usually prescribed for oral administration. Sometimes penicillin injections may be necessary in a young child where vomiting or difficulty swallowing may affect oral administration. Antibiotics also help to contain the spread of infection to others as well as reduce chances of complications. The oral antibiotics which are normally given for strep throat are penicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporin, or azithromycin. Clarithromycin or clindamycin may also be used.
Pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen may help to relieve throat pain, headache and fever.
In addition, general measures such as adequate rest, plenty of fluids, salt water gargles, throat lozenges, and avoiding foods which irritate the throat may be useful. Often, adding moisture to the air by means of a humidifier or using saline nasal sprays helps to keep the mucus membrane of the throat moist.
Tonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils) may be considered in cases of recurrent episodes of strep throat or tonsillitis, or in cases of persistent peri-tonsillar abscess in spite of drainage.

References:
mayoclinic.org
healthhype.com

Microbiology Diseases



WHAT IS HIV?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a lentrivirus (subgroup of retrovirus) that causes HIV infection and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. AIDS is a condition in humans in which failure of the immune system allows life threatening infections and cancers without treatment average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years depending on subtype

CAUSES

1. Having Sex: You can become infected of you have vaginal,anal, or oral sex with an infected partner whose blood,semen,or vaginal secretions enter your body. Virus can enter through mouth sores,or small tears that sometimes develop in the rectum or virgins during sex.
2. Blood Transfusions: May be transmitted through blood transfusions. Risk are small because Blood Banks and American Hospitals now screen.
3. Sharing Needles: HIV can be transmitted through contaminated needles and syringes with infected blood.
4. During pregnancy or delivery or through breastfeeding: Infected mothers can infect their babies but receiving treatment during pregnancy can lower risk.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Fever
• headache
• muscle aches
• rash
• chills
• sore throat
• joint pain
• night sweats
• diarrhea
• weight loss
• swollen lymph glands
• mouth or genital ulcers

EFFECTS ON THE BODY

• eating problem
• seizures
• shingles
• neuropathy
• strain on the heart
• skin sores
• pulmonary arterial infection
• balance issues

Treatment
There are many treatments that can help with HIV their are also medicines that can slow the growth of the virus or stop it from making copies of its self.

References
healthline.com
hiv.va.gov
Wikipedia.org

 Welcome to my Blog.........I'm enjoying this career change in my life as an Medical Assistant in the making. Sometimes I still feel myself asking "What have I got myself into" but overall its a fun experience and enjoying new things especially the hands on labs. I have 8 years of CNA experience so its a lot I already knew but at the same time I'm learning a lot of new interesting things. I'm thankful that God has allowed me this opportunity to further my education in the medical field after all I have experience with Stage 1 Breast Cancer I enjoy enjoy helping others. And I'm going to continue bettering myself for my 3 beautiful children and my husband.