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Diseases emerging in the population do not occur randomly but usually have prerequisites and conditions for development. Epidemiology studies influence factors and disease patterns to elucidate causes for subsequent control and treatment. One of the models for studying causal relationships in disease development is the epidemiologic triad, which includes agent, host, and environment ( What factors, 2021). The current paper investigates food-borne Salmonella and applies an epidemiologic triad model to it. Despite the wide variety of Salmonella serotypes, which can enter the body, some people are more likely to be infected due to factors that are considered in the triad.
The epidemiologic triad called the triangle, helps to understand the process of disease development. The first factor considered in the model is the agent, which depicts the cause of the disease ( What factors, 2021). The agent may be represented by bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, or physical and chemical factors ( What factors, 2021). In the case of the disease under consideration, the agent is bacteria called Salmonella (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). When entering the human body, the bacteria can cause symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and other signs (CDC, 2022). Nevertheless, host and environmental factors also play a role in the appearance of symptoms.
The features of the individuals body affect the possibility of developing the disease. This aspect is associated with the host factor, the organism exposed to the disease ( What factors, 2021). Hosts may be humans and animals, but humans need to be considered in the case of food-borne Salmonella. There are risk factors that reduce or increase the likelihood of disease occurrence for them exposure possibilities, susceptibility, and response ( What factors, 2021). Consequently, some categories of the population are more sensitive to certain diseases. According to a study by Judd et al. (2019), children under two and older adults are more susceptible to different types of Salmonella, which is attributed to a combination of host and environmental factors. From the hosts point of view, their organisms have weaker immunity.
The third and final factor represented in the epidemiological triangle is the environment. This element covers the conditions that affect the agent and make it possible to impact the host ( What factors, 2021). The environment may include climate, the presence of insects, sanitary conditions, or other circumstances. In the case of food-borne Salmonella, the agent is transmitted through various foods eggs, vegetables, meat, and even processed products such as nut butter or chicken nuggets and many other foods (CDC, 2019). Favorable conditions for the agent are warm weather and uncooled products (CDC, 2019). Therefore, to avoid Salmonella, people must wash their hands and products, store potentially dangerous food separately, and carefully cook or freeze it before consumption (CDC, 2022). Thus, understanding the environment of a disease is critical for its prevention.
Thus, the food-borne Salmonella bacteria can be transmitted to humans through food and cause unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhea, dehydration, and other problems. Salmonellas epidemiological triangle includes the bacterium as an agent, humans as hosts, and food products in warm weather as an environment. At the same time, children under two years old and older adults have a higher risk of illness and complications due to weaker immunity. The use of the epidemiological triangle model contributes to understanding the disease development patterns and helps in finding ways to prevent it. For this reason, the use of the model in epidemiology is effective and valuable.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Prevention. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Salmonella and food. Web.
Judd, M. C., Hoekstra, R. M., Mahon, B. E., Fields, P. I., & Wong, K. K. (2019). Epidemiologic patterns of human Salmonella serotype diversity in the USA, 1996-2016. Epidemiology and Infection, 147, 1-9.
What factors comprise the epidemiologic triangle? (2021). Kent State University. Web.
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