Salmonella infections, widely known as salmonellosis, are a common disease that affects the intestinal tract. It is caused by the bacteria Salmonella, which has more than 2,500 serotypes, and approximately 100 of which can cause human infections. Some of the serotypes may cause typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, besides salmonellosis itself (Salmonella Homepage, n.d.). Symptoms of infection and diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. The first signs of symptoms can be noted six hours to six days after infection. In most cases, people affected recover within a week. The potential complicators are the above-mentioned fever and multiple infections in urine, blood, bones, joints, spinal fluid, and brain (Salmonella Homepage, n.d.). Salmonella is spread by the fecal-oral route, which implies that humans may digest food or water contaminated with the bacteria. The common treatment measures are drinking extra fluids and antibiotic treatment, in case a person is in a group with high risks of complications to occur.
With respect to the demographic break, there are the following statistics and at-risk indicators that enable to complement the analysis of Salmonella infections. There is no correlation in the frequency of the disease occurrence between genders, as p > 0.05, urban and rural dwellers, and race or ethnicity groups (Salmonella Homepage, n.d.; Ehuwa et al., 2021). The significant dependency between the number of cases per group age is known. Thus, children under 1 year of age are eight times more vulnerable to Salmonella infections compared to adults aged 15-39 years. The morbidity of salmonellosis is 27.8 cases per 100,000, and the prevalence in the U.S. is about 1.35 million infections yearly (Food Safety Data Details, n.d.). The overall average incidence rate of infection is 1.87/100,000. The mortality rate is less than 1%, but the infection causes 10% to 20% of case fatalities without treatment.
Determinants of Health
The determinants of health or risk factors that influence the possibility of occurrence and the development of salmonellosis are the following. The social and economic environment and income, as the lower life quality, frequently result in consuming products and water that can potentially be contaminated with Salmonella (Food Safety Data Details, n.d.; Ngogo et al., 2020). The physical environment, as water, soil, and air, affects the probability of the bacteria occurrence in food (Green, 2009). The lifestyle also affects the likelihood of being ill for salmonellosis, as the individuals with deteriorated immunity because of their daily habits are more vulnerable to the rapid development of the disease that may potentially lead to severe consequences. Finally, there are social and behavioral determinants of food safety that affect the development of salmonellosis (Food Safety, n.d.). Inappropriate product practices, not separating types of food, not cooking products at appropriate temperatures, and not cleaning hands and surfaces are some of the additional health determinants.
Epidemiological Triad
The epidemiological triad is referred to as characteristics of the Host of a disease, Agent, and Environment. Concerning salmonellosis, the Agent is Bacteria Salmonella, a single-celled gram-negative, anaerobic, non-spore-forming organism. It produces a cytolethal distending toxin known as typhoid toxin, which induces DNA damage in eukaryotic cells. Salmonella can survive in the soil for more than 400 days and up to weeks on hard surfaces, which makes it a sustainable bacteria (Ngogo et al., 2020). Salmonella can be eradicated by sodium hydroxide, used as a disinfectant. However, many of the solutions of disinfections does not cause a substantial effect on the bacteria. Salmonella acquires resistance to antibiotics rapidly, but currently, fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin or cephalosporins are effective against the bacteria.
Regarding the Host, it is a human who digested a product or water contaminated with Salmonella. In the broad sense, people who tend to not live on an appropriate diet, do not follow hygiene rules, and do not prepare food at an appropriate temperature, are vulnerable to the disease occurrence. Simultaneously, humans with deteriorate immunity or infants are most endangered to several consequences of salmonellosis development. As stated above, there is no dependency between gender, ethnicity, or urbanicity of an area and the likelihood of disease occurrence. However, age and the methods of preparing, cooking, and consuming products are crucial.
Finally, environmental factors may significantly influence the occurrence and development of salmonellosis. For instance, sanitation and housing quality affect the quality of water that people living in a particular area drink. High population density affects the quality of living, which results in worse nutrition and, therefore, the high probability of the disease occurrence (Food Safety, n.d.). Climate is also vital as the growth of Salmonella is significantly reduced at temperatures lower than 15°C.
Role of the NP
The role of nurse practitioners (NPs) can be defined as assessing patients, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, making diagnoses, initiating and managing treatment plans. Moreover, NPs possess a vital role in the management of infectious diseases. They participate in reducing epidemics through various practices and interventions (Bjørnstad et al., 2020). For instance, nurse surveillance is a process or intervention that implies that an NP monitors, evaluates, and acts based on changes in a patient’s conditions, which is vital for treating infected patients.
Additionally, NPs have three levels of infection prevention called primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The first intervention is focused on the overall health of a nation, as implemented through immunization programs, such as vaccination (Bjørnstad et al., 2020). Or, in particular cases, education of the population of basic hygiene rules and the danger of some undercooked products. Secondary prevention is focused on evidence-based screening programs necessary to conduct systemic health checks for diseases. It can assist in the evaluation of the effect of measures taken or discover new infectious serotypes of the bacteria. Finally, tertiary prevention is based on ensuring equal assess to medical assistance. It also includes the development of medical evidence-based practices for treating salmonellosis and preventing complications.
The SIR model can be utilized as an example of a model of practice that supports the implementation of an evidence-based practice intended to manage the infection (Bjørnstad et al., 2020). It enables analysis and forecast of infection spread in a population, based on average rates taken from the existing statistics. For instance, the SIR model allows research effect of vaccination on the spread of infection. Such modeling is vital for infection disease management and is frequently used by NPs.
References
Bjørnstad, O.N., Shea, K., Krzywinski, M., (2020). Modeling infectious epidemics.Nat Methods 17, 455–456. Web.
Ehuwa, O., Jaiswal, A. K., & Jaiswal, S. (2021). Salmonella, food safety and food handling practices.Foods, 10(5), 907. Web.
Food Safety Data Details Food Safety Data Details. (n.d.). Web.
Food Safety. (n.d.). Web.
Green, A. (2009). Co-monitoring non-typhoidal Salmonella isolates of human and animal origin. FoodNet News, 15(4). Web.
Ngogo, F.A., Joachim, A., & Abade, A.M. (2020). Factors associated with Salmonella infection in patients with gastrointestinal complaints seeking health care at Regional Hospital in Southern Highland of Tanzania.BMC Infect Dis, 20(135). Web.
Salmonella Homepage. (n.d.). Web.