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Communicable Disease

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Epidemiology is the study of health-related trends in populations for the purposes of disease prevention health maintenance, and health protection (Lewis, 2011). In addition to that, it focuses on relationships among an agent a host, and an environment. Their interactions determine the development and cessation of communicable diseases, and they form a web of causality, which increases or decreases the risk of disease (Lewis, 2011).One of the communicable diseases that cause a great fear nowadays throughout the world is HIV. The layout of the paper focuses on the descriptions, demographics, health determinants and role of the community health nurse. Good intro

Description of Communicable Disease
HIV is a fragile virus. It can only be transmitted under specific conditions that allow contact with infected blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk (Lewis, Sharon, 2011). Transmission of HIV occurs through sexual intercourse with an infected partner, exposure to HIV infected blood or blood products and perinatal transmission during pregnancy at delivery, or through breastfeeding (Lewis, Sharon, 2011).
Causes
The HIV is a RNA virus. RNA virus are called retroviruses (Lewis, Sharon, 2011). Like all viruses, HIV cannot replicate unless it is inside a living cell. Initial infection with HIV results in large amounts of virus in the blood. HIV infects human cells with CD4 receptors on their surfaces. Immune dysfunction in HIV disease is predominantly the result of damage to and destruction of CD4 cells (Lewis, Sharon, 2011).
Symptoms (Lewis, Sharon, 2011) HIV infected patients have many signs/symptoms which can effect all the systems.
Nutrition: weight loss, anorexia, nausea, vomiting; lesions, bleeding, or ulcerations of lips, moth, gums, tongue, or throat. Skin rashes, lesions or color changes; non-healing wounds.
Elimination: Persistent diarrhea,

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