Surveillance for Vector-borne Diseases Among Active and Reserve Component Service Members, U.S. Armed Forces,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Entomology
• Infectious Diseases
• Military Health

Background:

• Vector-borne infectious diseases pose a significant health risk.
• Monitoring disease incidence in military populations is crucial for readiness.
• Electronic reporting systems capture critical public health data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of vector-borne infectious diseases.
• To analyze trends among U.S. Armed Forces members over five years.
• To identify the most prevalent vector-borne diseases.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electronic reports of reportable medical events (RMEs).
• Categorized cases as confirmed, probable, or suspected.
• Focused on data from a recent 5-year period.

Main Results:

• Lyme disease and malaria were the most frequent confirmed vector-borne diseases.
• Zika virus infection, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and dengue were also common.
• These five diseases accounted for 94% of all confirmed vector-borne RMEs.

Conclusions:

• Vector-borne diseases represent a notable health concern within the U.S. Armed Forces.
• Surveillance data from RMEs are valuable for understanding disease patterns.
• Targeted prevention strategies may be needed for prevalent diseases like Lyme and malaria.