NR_553 Week 4 Discussion, Outbreak Disease-Australian Listeria

Outbreak of Disease-Australian Listeria 2018 NAME Chamberlain College of Nursing NR553: Global Health Policy DATE Global Alert and Response (GAR). Review a disease outbreak posted this year that includes information on how the disease was contracted and recommendations for control and/or prevention. Provide an overview of the disease alert. Was this information made available to healthcare professionals and the general public? Where else could healthcare professionals and the general public gain information on disease outbreaks? Week 4: Outbreak of Disease Listeriosis is caused by eating food contaminated with a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes. It’s an uncommon illness but can be deadly if it causes septicemia or meningitis. Listeria is found widely in soil, water and vegetation, and can be carried by pets and wild animals. A vegetable or fruit food product can become contaminated anywhere along the chain of food production: planting, harvesting, packing, distribution, preparation, and serving. The incubation time for listeriosis, which can be as long as 70 days but is usually around three weeks. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The elderly are particularly susceptible to listeriosis, as are pregnant women and their fetuses, and those with weakened immune systems. The Australian National Focal Point (NFP) notified WHO of an outbreak of a listeriosis on March 2, 2018, that was associated with the consumption of rockmelons, or what we call cantaloupes in North America, from a single grower (WHO, 2018). According to WHO 20 outbreak cases (19 confirmed and 1 probable) of listeriosis occurred between January 17, 2018, through April 6, 2018 (2018). There were 7 deaths and 1 miscarriage associated with the outbreak. The Australian NFP was notified on March 1, 2018, that international distribution of the affected rockmelons had occurred. All infected people in the outbreak consumed rockmelon before they fell sick. Using genetic sequencing technology, state and territory health departments were able to trace the source to a farm in the New South Wales (NSW) Riverina district (Australian Food News, 2018). The Australian grower recalled the cantaloupe on Feb. 27, 2018. However, the first reported illnesses in Australia occurred in January. In addition to distribution in Australia, the grower shipped the fruit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in China, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (WHO, 2018). Import details were provided through the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) to the affected countries to enable them to take appropriate contamination management measures including local recall and risk communication (WHO, 2018). The cause of the outbreak was a combination of environmental conditions and weather contaminating the surface of the fruit, with low levels of the bacteria persisting after the washing process (WHO, 2018). The Department of Health & Human Services, State Government of Victoria, Australia reported that Dr. Brett Sutton, Chief Health Officer, issued an alert to medical professionals and health services on March 1, 2018 (Victoria State Government, 2018). Health professionals were provided information on what listeriosis is, the cause of the contamination, who was at risk, symptoms, and transmission, and prevention and treatment. Health professionals could also receive further information from a link provided on . The general public could access information on food safety and listeria by visiting the Better Health Channel website that is managed by the Australian Department of Health & Human Services and the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website (Victoria State Government, 2018). To prevent the spread of listeria the public was informed to stay away from high risk foods, thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, wash raw vegetables and fruit thoroughly before eating, use separate cutting boards for raw meat and foods that are ready to eat wash your hands with soapy water before and after preparing food, wash knives and cutting boards after handling uncooked foods, and wash your hands after handling animals (Victoria State Government, n.d). Those at highest risk for becoming infected were advised not to consume rockmelon and to discard any rockmelon they may have at home. Healthcare professionals were advised to educate people in high-risk groups, such as pregnant women and immune-compromised people, about the foods likely to be contaminated, and about safe food handling and storage (Victoria State Government, 2018). Healthcare professionals were informed that early identification and treatment of symptomatic people was important. Immediate treatment with intravenous antibiotics, usually with benzylpenicillin either alone or in combination with trimethoprim + sulfamethoxazole, and consultation with infectious diseases specialist were recommended (Victoria State Government, 2018). References Food Safety News. (2018, March 14). Gov backtracks on rockmelon impact. Retrieved from World Health Organization. (2018, April 9). Listeriosis – Australia. Retrieved from Victoria State Government. (2018, February 28). Health advice on listeria outbreak linked to NSW rockmelons. Retrieved from Victoria State Government. (n.d). Food poisoning – listeria. Retrieved from RESPONSE TO PEER POST: There is a web based system that is part of the CDC named the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS). This is a reporting system that is used by local and state authorities to report outbreaks of food borne or waterborne pathogens transmitted by infected persons or animals, environmental sources or those that have an unknown mode of transmission. Leslie, Thank you for the education about NORS. Until today, I never knew this reporting system existed. This prompted me to further investigate the CDC website and see what else I could learn about foodborne and waterborne outbreaks. What I discovered is that along with NORS there is a The Waterborne Disease and Outbreak Surveillance System (WBDOSS). WBDOSS is a collaborative effort of the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) of CDC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for collecting and periodically reporting data relating to occurrences and causes of waterborne-disease outbreaks. The surveillance system includes data regarding outbreaks associated with drinking water and recreational water. State, territorial, and local public health departments are primarily responsible for detecting and investigating WBDOSS and voluntarily reporting them to CDC on a standard form. The data gathered through this surveillance system are useful for identifying major deficiencies in providing safe drinking water and recreational water. Surveillance information also influences research priorities and can lead to improved water-quality regulations. Reference Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). The Waterborne Disease and Outbreak Surveillance System. Retrieved from RESPONSE TO PROFESSOR AND PEER POST: Dr. Fildes and Amanda, The Joint Commission reported on its website that an American health care worker who recently contracted Ebola from Sierra Leone is currently being treated at one of the 55 designed Ebola treatment centers (The Joint Commission, n.d.). Many states have several Ebola treatment centers, however, there is only one located in Cleveland, Ohio and the facility is MetroHealth Medical Center. MetroHealth has established a task force headed by Infection Prevention comprised of health care workers and staff to ensure protocols and practices are in place in the event an Ebola patient enters the system. Signs are posted at all main reception areas requesting patients to inform staff if they have traveled to West Africa in the last 21 days or have been exposed to someone with Ebola virus and are experiencing symptoms. If a person is suspected of having contracted Ebola they will be immediately put into an isolated room and will be cared for by a trained medical team wearing personal protective equipment. Lab work will be sent to the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus, OH to confirm the diagnosis. I also discovered that the Ohio Nurses Association is working with healthcare agencies and government officials in mobilizing efforts to reduce the impact of Ebola in the state of Ohio. Reference The Joint Commission. (2018). Ebola preparedness resources. Retrieved from