What does Chronic Infection really mean?

 Malnutrition of it all

“Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected.” -T. Colin Campbell

Thirty-percent of present disease burden could be removed by eliminating malnutrition (3). Further, five types of infectious disease represent more than fifty percent of all deaths in children under 5 years old, and most of them are also undernourished. This kind of malnutrition is not limited to only poor populations. It is a vicious cycle that can affect anyone. Undernutrition can lead to decreased immune function (in both innate and adaptive immunity), while infection results in poorer nutrient absorption, mucosal injury, and an altered gut biome. In that way infection and nutrition are closely linked to overall health (2). A deficiency in vitamin A can affect epithelial integrity important in the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Lacking vitamin E can reduce T cell division, and lower production of cytokines. Zinc is needed in over 300 enzymes and has a role in non-specific immunity. Micronutrient deficiencies like the aforementioned have additional effects in poor growth, impaired intellect, increased mortality and greater susceptibility to infection. 

The infection problem

The worldwide effect of infection is humongous. Infection leads to malnutrition, and in turn increases infestation; though to what extent is still unknown (4).  Micronutrient deficiency is ubiquitous among nearly 2 billion people in developing and developed countries. These are silent epidemics of vitamin and mineral deficiencies affecting all people regardless of gender, age, or other risk factors. They cause specific diseases, and exacerbate infectious/chronic diseases. The most effective way to combat these health needs is with population-based, food source fortification involving methods like food security, education, and monitoring. Ultimately, understanding the pathophysiology and epidemiology of deficiencies, and implementing successful methods of prevention will play the largest roles in this new public health world.

A Deficiency Pandemic

COVID-19, a disease caused by a novel coronavirus has become a global human threat that has turned into a pandemic (1). Previous disease outbreaks have demonstrated that as an epidemic grows, there is a need to extend public health beyond direct clinical management and to cover all basic principles of resource utilization. Individual and community resilience is one such major resource. It is the responsibility of individuals in the pandemic to choose a healthy lifestyle, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise when able, maintain a healthy weight, and get restful sleep. Nutritional status indicates the level of resilience and poor diet quality has been associated with both physical and mental health. This reality transcends the individual, and community to reach a global effect.

References

1. Naja, F., & Hamadeh, R. (2020). Nutrition amid the COVID-19 pandemic: A multi-level framework for action. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 74(8), 1117–1121. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-0634-3

2. Lecture 1: Introduction to Infection and Immunity. (n.d.). Retrieved 2021, from https://learn.muih.edu/courses/10619/pages/module-5-resources-2?module_item_id=376139

3. Katona, P., & Katona-Apte, J. (2008). The Interaction between Nutrition and Infection. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 46(10), 1582–1588. https://doi.org/10.1086/587658

4. Micronutrient Deficiency Conditions: Global Health Issues | Public Health Reviews | Full Text. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://publichealthreviews.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1007/BF03391600