Communicable Disease

Communicable Disease Paper

Communicable Disease Paper

Communicable diseases are diseases that are spread from an infected person to a non-infected person. A non-infected person can catch this disease by direct or indirect contact with the person who carries the virus. A majority of communicable diseases are spread through direct contact of an infected person by something as simple as coughing or sneezing and as a result the virus becomes airborne and travels to any person who is in the vicinity. Communicable diseases can also be spread indirectly through contaminated food, water or even from animals or insect bites. Some communicable diseases require particular circumstances for it to be transmitted from one person to another. AIDS/HIV is a communicable disease which requires specific events in order to transmit from an infected person to a non-infected person. This paper will explore the role of AIDS/HIV as a communicable disease and its impact on public and community health.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome better known as AIDS is a deadly disease that broke out in the United States in the early1980’s. A person becomes infected with AIDS after their immune system is exposed to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus also known as HIV. HIV is transported into the body when a person takes risky behaviors such as sharing dirty needles or having unprotected sex with an infected partner. Once HIV enters the body it begins to destroy the defense cells, throughout the body. As the HIV continues to damages the cells throughout the body, the body becomes more susceptible to other infections. AIDS is the last stage of the HIV infection. This occurs when a person’s immune system becomes too weak to fight off these infections, making it nearly impossible to regain good health. As lethal as this communicable disease is, great measures have been taken to control AIDS/ HIV from spreading. For those who are infected with HIV there has recently been an increase in their...