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Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza
Avian influenza (flu) is a threat that has been discussed since 2003 when humans in Asia began to become infected and die. The virus has gone through many changes since it was first detected, which is a concern for fear that a novel virus will occur that will sustain a human to human transmission which would lead to a avian flu pandemic (Guterman, 2005).
This paper will discuss the reason for this community health issue, the description of the problem, background factors, local data, nursing interventions, and Orem's nursing model.
Reason
Community health nurses are concerned as the threat of a pandemic flu is due. In the 20th century there were 3 pandemics of flu, predicated is flu pandemic for the 21st century, if not avian flu it will be flu (PandemicFlu.gov, 2006). The concern has been that since the year 2003, East Asia has experienced an avian flu that has emerged as a novel virus that has been steadily increasing in humans and animals. Another concern is that in the small clusters of people who have been infected over three quarters of those have died (World Health Organization, 2007; Guterman, 2005). Concern is a sustained human to human transmission of the avian flu which will lead to a pandemic (Guterman, 2005).
Description
Most of the deaths will occur in the young and elderly. No vaccine is available and what vaccines are available for flu will most likely not be effective. No one will have immunity. A threat of a pandemic will impact on a global, regional, national, and local economic level overnight, not for just a short time but over months, possibly even a year. Public health will have no borders; a pandemic will be global (Guterman, 2005).
Background Factors
Infectious diseases are the number one reason for deaths of people worldwide. A pandemic is an epidemic that strikes several continents at the same time. Avian flu originates in wild aquatic birds that show no illness, they just become reservoirs. Wild aquatic birds...