Discuss a global implication of the disease. How is this addressed in other countries or cultures? Is this disease endemic to a particular area? Provide an example.

Discuss a global implication of the disease. How is this addressed in other countries or cultures? Is this disease endemic to a particular area? Provide an example.

Incidence, Prevalence, and Mortality

According to Tokars et al. (2017), the incidence of influenza averages 8% but generally shifts between 3% and 11% depending on the season of the year. The patterns show that children under the age of two years and adults above the age of 65 years are the most affected. Added to these are those whose immunity has been compromised such as persons on chemotherapy or those with HIV (Hammer 7 McPhee, 2018; Tokars et al., 2017). On prevalence, the Centers for Disease control and Prevention approximates a figure of between 9 and 41 million cases (CDC, 2022c). Also, the mortality figure is placed by the CDC at between 12,000 and 52,000 deaths every year. Influenza is a reportable disease outbreak in many states and the reporting is done to the CDC at the time of diagnosis.

Complications

As much as flu appears to be a simple infection that usually wears off within days even without intervention, it can cause serious complications and even death. Some of the most common infections are sinusitis and otitis media. These are infections of the sinuses and the middle ear that more often than not are complicated by bacterial infection (CDC, 2022b; Hammer & McPhee, 2018). The other common complication is pneumonia that is often life-threatening especially for children and the elderly. Less common complications include myositis or an infection of the muscles with muscle tissue breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), sepsis, encephalitis, myocarditis, and multiple organ failure (CDC, 2022b; Hammer & McPhee, 2018). For patients with other respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart disease, an influenza infection will interfere with the management of these conditions and may cause an exacerbation of their symptoms.

Treatment

The best strategy to prevent and control influenza is to get vaccinated first as a child and then as an adult by getting boosters (CDC, 2022a; Jang & Seong, 2019; Paules & Fauci, 2018; Phillipson et al., 2019). However, it is acknowledged that even those that are vaccinated may still get infected with flu. For this reason, the evidence-based practice or EBP intervention recommended by the CDC is the prescription of antiviral medications. These have the advantage of lessening the severity and duration of the symptoms.

Demography of Interest

The population demographics of interest as far as influenza is concerned are the elderly above the age of 65 years, children under the age of five years, and the immunocompromised (Tokars et al., 2017). These are the most vulnerable groups within the general population and it is them that need to be targeted by health promotion and education. Having said that, the most significant demographic amongst which the preventive intervention of immunization starts are the children under five years.