The recent development of infection in Chicago and Milwaukee has caused much death and risking health conditions for the past two days. The issue’s progression is quick, and it is important to identify the causes and apply the right treatment. The paper will show the development of the infection in the specific example of a musician from Chicago known as Zeke. Moreover, it will explain the key symptoms of the problem and elaborate on the epidemical process with the most effective treatment plans. Finally, it will show if the applied solution helped decrease the number of infected people and deaths caused by the defined issue.
The First Case and Symptoms
A 37-year-old Zeke has tested positive for an unknown infection in Chicago. There were two main predictions regarding the cause of the disease, but it was crucial to investigate further by interviewing other patients with the same symptoms as Zeke. Firstly, the musician has led a workshop for fifty students in a massive hall (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Secondly, he took a flight from Africa two days ago and could catch the infection in the plane. The key symptoms of the disease were fever, chest pain, and problems with breathing. Moreover, some relatives of the infected patients have mentioned that there was a blurred mind in some cases.
Epidemiological Process
More cases appeared in a short period of time, and close people to patients were panicking as there was no specific diagnosis. All patients were tested for diverse infections as doctors have found out that the lab results state that this issue might be caused by anthrax. The consequences of the infection might be serious the blood samples were taken to public health laboratories to ensure that the prediction was correct. While waiting for the results, it was crucial to interview patients and their families and understand the cause of the problem and what activities united all affected people. The results have shown that all patients work in governmental buildings and recently attended music events. Even though everyone is working in governmental constructions, some patients did not attend their workplaces for about two weeks. Moreover, police reports during this time showed that the level of bioterrorism had increased, and this could be a real cause of the anthrax issue.
The epidemiological process included the identification of the disease, patients’ interviews, and treatment introduction. I have studied insignificant details of the anthrax case and used all steps of the epidemiological process to understand the key causes of the problem. When all patients were interviewed, the results from the public health laboratory were revealed, and the development of anthrax was approved. Based on the symptoms and observations, doctors have identified that this type of problem is called inhalation anthrax. Consequently, the main cause of the outbreak stated by the police and based on the patients’ responses is the release of the infection at music events.
Treatment
Anthrax can be treated if it is identified in the early stages of its development. The most common treatment plans are antibiotics consumption in sixty days and the vaccine given through the vein (Vietri, 2018). All patients in the case of Milwaukee were given antibiotics, and this strategy is called post-exposure prophylaxis. The treatment became effective, but the real cause of the problem was found only when Zeke explained that he carried goat skin with the infection from Mali. The results of the case are positive, as doctors were able to prevent an epidemic and protect the lives of many innocent people.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Solve the outbreak. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Vietri, N. J. (2018). Does anthrax antitoxin therapy have a role in the treatment of inhalational anthrax? Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases, 31(3), 257-262.