Question

Chain of infection

Create your own case study scenario with labeled diagram based of your story?

Answer 1

Chain of infection

chain of infection is the series of events has to happen to enable pathogens, this referes to bacteria, virus and fung to cause infection in a person or there orhanisms. If we break any link of the chain, we can stop arising infection.

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Organisms

Our earth is a huge reservoir of microorganisms including pathogenic and useful organisms for the mankind. These include bacteria, virus, fungi protozoans, parasites, bacteriophage etc.

Reservoir

Source of infection. Mainly the air, a huge source of microorganisms including infectious and non infectious. Other reservoirs are: Soil, water, an infected person itself is a reservoir

Portal of Exit

It is the path by which a pathogen leaves it's host. The portal of exit usually cirrespinds to the site where the pathogen is localised. eg, Mycobacterium tuberculosis exits through respiratory tract, whereas polio virus through fecal route.

Transmission

An infectious agent may be transmitted from its natural reservoir to a susceptible host in different ways. They are:

• Direct

Direct contact- skin to skin contact, kissing and sexual intercourseDroplet spread- refers to spray with relatively large, Short range aerosols produced by sneezing coughing or evening talking

• Indirect
• Airborne- occurs when infectious agents are carried by dust or droplet nuclei
• Vehicle borne - includes food, water, biological products such as blood, semen and droplet
• Vector borne- vectors such as mosquitoes, fleas and ticks

Portal of entry

Manner in which a pathogen enters a susceptibility host. The entry must provide access to tissue in which the pathogens can multiply or exert toxin in host body. Portal of entry includes skin breakdown, mucous membrane, blood etc.

Vulnerable host

Final link of the chain of infections is a susceptible host. Susceptibility of host depends many factors such as immunity, genetic or constitutional factors. Eg. Person with sickle cell anemia has a natural resistance to malarial pathogens. And also good immunisation status also individual from infections. Some natural defence mechanisms like skin, mucous membrane, acidic character of gastric juice etc prevents easy entry of pathogens. Some negative factors like malnutrition, underlying diseases, lack of sanitation increases the risk of getting infections.

Measures to break the chain

• Good hand hygiene by using gloves and other protective equipments
• Maintenance of sanitation
• Early diagnosis and treatment of existing infection to prevent transmission
• Sterilisation, disinfections of things came in contact with infectious agents.

If any of these link can be broken, the development of infection will be halt.