Methods of Prevention and Control of Infection

METHODS OF PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTION
Disease control involves all the measures designed to prevent or reduce as much as possible the
incidence ,prevalence and consequence of disease .Every disease has certain weak point
susceptible to attack .The basic approach in controlling infectious disease is to identify these
weak point and break the weakest link in the chain of transmission .
Disease control can be achieved greatly with these factors
1. Community Participation
2. Political Support
3. Intersectoral Coordination
Broadly the methods are divided into 3
1. Controlling the reservoir or source of infection

2. Interruption of the route of transmission
3. The Susceptible Host (people at risk )
CONTROLLING THE RESERVOIR
The link in the chain of causation will be eliminated .Measures of reservoir control comprises of
the following : Early Diagnosis ,Notification , Isolation ,Treatment ,Quarantine ,Surveillance,
and Disinfection ,all of these are directed towards reducing the quantity of the agent available
A Early Diagnosis : Early and accurate diagnosis is very important ,Effort must be put in the first
instance to without waiting for the result of a laboratory examination .Final diagnosis must be
confirmed in the laboratory ,because to delay actions inmany cases may be fatal.
IMPORTANCE
a. for the treatment of patients

b. to trace the source of infection
c. to study the time ,place and person distribution
d. for the institution of prevention and control measures
NOTIFICATION
Once an infectious disease has been detected or suspected it should be notified to the local health
authority whose responsibility is to put into operation control measures ,including the provision
of medical care to patients in the hospital. Notifiable disease may alos include non-
communicable diseases e.gcancer ,congenital defects ,accidents
IMPORTANCE
a. it promote early detection of disease outbreak

b. it permit actions to control the spread
c. it assist the government to put up actions to promote the eradication of the disease
Notification of infectious disease is often made by attending physician or the head of
family but in all cases the diagnosis is verify by the local health authority.
INVESTIGATION
The investigation covers the identification of the source of infection and factors
influencing the spread in the community.
IMPORTANCE
1. It helps to learn about the causesof outbreaks
2it helps make treatment promptly
3 It controls further outbreak
ISOLATION
This is defined as separation for the period of communicability of infected persons or animals
from others in such places and under such conditions as to limit the direct or indirect
transmission of the infectious agent .Isolation is designed to impound the source of infection and
prevent further spread .Isolation should continue until the patient is no longer infective .
TREATMENT
Treatment is aim at killing the infectious agent .Many communicable disease have been tamed
by effective drugs .Treatment is also extended to carriers .It can take the form of individual or
mass ,in the latter all the people in the community are administered with the drug whether they
are affected or not .
QUANRANTINE
Quarantine is defined as the limitation of freedom of movement of such well person or domestic
animal exposed to communicable disease for a period of time not longer than the longest period
of incubation period of the disease ,in such manner as to prevent contact with those not so
exposed .there are 3 forms of quarantine
a) Absolute /Complete: this refers to complete limitation of freedom of movement for a

period equal to the longest usual incubation period of the disease .
b) Modified /Flexible quarantine : Selective or Partial limitation of movement based on
known differences in susceptibility.
c) Segregation: act of restricting people from coming n contact with individual that has
been exposed to infectious agent.
SURVEILLANCE
This must follow control measures .It is the continuous investigation of all aspect of
occurrence and spread of disease that are pertinent to effective control .It goes beyond the
passive reporting of cases ,it include laboratory confirmation of presumptive
diagnosis ,finding out the source of infection ,route of transmission .The ultimate objective of
surveillance is prevention.
DISINFECTION
This is the process of destroying harmful microbes with the objective of preventing the
transmission of disease .Disinfectants are suitable for inanimate objects .An antiseptic is a
substance which destroy or inhibit the growth of micro organism .
Disinfection is the process of killing the infectious agents outside the body by direct exposure
to chemical or physical agents .
Sterilization is the process of destroying all life including the spore ,this is widely used in the
medical services .
a. Concurrent Disinfection : Application of disinfectant as soon as the infectious material

is remove from the body e.g disinfection of urine ,faeces ,vomit ,contaminated
linen ,clothe ,hands ,dressings ,apron ,gloves
b. Terminal Disinfection : Application of disinfectant after after the patient has been
removed from the ward after death or referral to another hospital ,it s considered
adequate with airing and sunning.
c. Pre current Disinfection : Disinfection of water by chlorine ,pasteurization of milk and
hand washing .
TYPES OF DISINFECTANTS
1. Natural Disinfectant : a) sunlight (direct and continuous exposure to sunlight is
destructive to many disease producing organism
b) Air : exposure to open air act by drying or evaporation of moisture which is
lethargy to most bacteria .
these natural methods cannot be totally depended upon .
2 Physical Agent : a) Burning or Incineration : it is an excellent method of disinfection

.inexpensive articles like contaminated dressings ,rags and swabs can be disposed off by
burning .Feaces can be disposed off by burning ,burning should be done in open air it is best
done in an incinerator .
b) Boiling : it is an effective method ,it provides an atmosphere of boiling and steam ,boiling for
5-10 minutes will kill bacteria ,but not spores or viruses .Boilers provides temperature of above
90 degree Celsius ,in an atmosphere of steam which is exposed to open air .boiling is suitable for
disinfection of small instruments ,tools ,linen stained with faeces ,pus or blood which should first
be washed with cold water and then subjected to boiling with frequent stirring because linen and
clothes are poor conductors of heat .Boiling for 30minutes is adequate to disinfect linens ,utensils
and bedpans .
c) Autoclaving: Sterilizers which operates in high temperature (excess 100OC ) are called
autoclaves .Autoclaving is widely used in hospital and laboratory practice ,it destroy all forms of
life including spores ,it is effective in sterilizing linens, dressing ,gloves, syringes.
C) CHEMICAL AGENT : Article which cannot be sterilized by autoclaving may be immersed

in chemical disinfectant ,chemical agents may also be used for the disinfection of
faeces ,urine ,and other contaminated materials .
2 INTERRUPTION OF MODE OF TRANSMISSION
This means the use of some component of man’s environment to prevent the infective agent from
entering the body of susceptible person ,for example water can be a medium for the transmission
of typhoid ,dysentery ,hepatiis A, therefore water treatment will eliminate their
disease ,depending upon the level of pollution these may vary chlorination to complex treatment.
Clean practice --- Hand washing ---- adequate cooking ,prompt refrigeration of prepared food
will prevent food borne disease .
Basically episode of droplet are effectively interrupted by early diagnosis ,treatment of

patient ,personal hygiene and proper handling of secretion and excretion .
3 SUSCEPTIBLE HOST
Susceptible Host may be protected by :
a. Active Immunization : Simply strengthening the host .There are some infectious disease
whose control is solely based on active immunization e.g polio, tetanus ,diphtheria ,and
measles.This can be given as routine during infancy and early childhood .Immunization
are not 100% effective .
b. Passive Immunization : These are available for passive immunity i Normal human
immunoglobulin ,ii Specific human immunoglobulin ,iii Anti sera or anti toxin
c. Chemoprophylaxis : This implies the protection from or prevention of disease ,simply
administration of medication for the purpose of preventing disease .Antibiotics can be
given to patient with disorder of immune system or to healthy individual to limit the
spread or to patient with repeated infections to prevent recurrence .
d. Non Specific Measures : legislation measures ,formulation of programs ,community
participation

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METHODS OF PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTION

Disease control can be achieved greatly with these factors

Broadly the methods are divided into 3

1. Controlling the reservoir or source of infection

CONTROLLING THE RESERVOIR

a. for the treatment of patients

a. it promote early detection of disease outbreak

1. It helps to learn about the causesof outbreaks

2it helps make treatment promptly

3 It controls further outbreak

a) Absolute /Complete: this refers to complete limitation of freedom of movement for a

a. Concurrent Disinfection : Application of disinfectant as soon as the infectious material

2 Physical Agent : a) Burning or Incineration : it is an excellent method of disinfection

C) CHEMICAL AGENT : Article which cannot be sterilized by autoclaving may be immersed

2 INTERRUPTION OF MODE OF TRANSMISSION

Basically episode of droplet are effectively interrupted by early diagnosis ,treatment of

Susceptible Host may be protected by :

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