This paper discusses and compares the risk of disease of an individual from the risk of the population at large using a medical diagnosis of a certain individual. The paper discusses the risk posed by tuberculosis, TB, and how risky it is for an individual and for the population at large.
Tuberculosis, TB, is an easily transmissible disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, slowing growing bacteria whose host can only be humans. TB is the leading cause of death in the world effecting 1.7 billion people a year which is equal to 1/3 of the entire world population (, 2005).
A person may be infected by TB by having the TB bacteria in his body but does not have the symptoms of the disease. The symptoms of the disease can only be seen on persons who have an active disease. These persons are those who have weak immune systems such as those with HIV. Aside from HIV positive individuals, other people are also at higher risk of TB such as those who work or live with others who have TB; those who are medically underserved populations; homeless people; people from other countries where TB is prevalent; people in group settings such as nursing homes and correctional; those who abused alcohol; people who used intravenous drugs; those with paired immune systems; the elderly; and the healthcare workers who come in contact with high-risk populations ( 2006).
Using the case of a 35 year old male, one can determine the risks pose by TB to an individual. A 35-year old male was admitted in a hospital at New Delhi with a 4-month history of fever, cough, expectoration, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness and breathlessness on exertion. There was a history of smoking and alcohol abuse. His father died of tuberculosis 10 years ago. He was chest x-rayed and showed bilateral extensive disease and his sputum was positive. He was diagnosed to have TB and given a treatment with streptomycin, rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol on the same day he was confined (1998).
From the case above it can be concluded that an individual living or had lived with or have contact with a TB patient is at risk of acquiring the disease aside from having weak immunity against TB due to smoking and alcohol abuse. The risk posed by TB to an individual depends on his lifestyle, socio-economic status, the environment he is living and his health like if he has HIV, diabetes or end-stage renal disease ( 2006). While for the population at large such as in nursing homes and correctional as well as in poor countries and ethnic minority groups where TB is prevalent the risks posed by TB are higher than posed on individuals. As noted above TB is an easily transmissible disease, therefore the population with higher risk on TB can easily acquire the disease and pass it on the other member of the population. Also, individuals like health workers exposed to population or group of people with higher risk are also more likely to have TB.
TB is spread by airborne particles and can be acquired by persons who share the same airspace with persons with infectious TB disease (, 2006). Therefore the risk posed by TB to population at large or those who have direct contact with TB patients is higher than the risk posed to individuals. The more a person associates in a group, the more likely for him to acquire TB.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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