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Query: UMLS:C0024530 (malaria)
 44,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Malaria is a significant health threat to U.S. combat forces that are deployed to malaria-endemic regions. From 1979, when the Republic of Korea (ROK) was declared malaria free, malaria did not present a health threat to U.S. forces deployed to Korea until the early 1990s. In 1993, a temperate strain of vivax malaria expressing both latent (long prepatent incubation periods of usually 6-18 months after infection) and nonlatent (short prepatent incubation periods < 30 days after infection) disease reemerged near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and once again presented a primary health threat to U.S. military populations in the ROK. Following its reemergence, malaria rates increased dramatically through 1998 and accounted for > 44% of all malaria cases among U.S. Army soldiers from 1997 to 2002. More than 60% of all Korean-acquired malaria among U.S. soldiers was identified as latent malaria. Nearly 80% of all latent malaria attributed to exposure in Korea was diagnosed in the U.S. or other countries where soldiers were deployed. These data illustrate the requirement for a comprehensive malaria education program, especially for those soldiers residing or training in malaria high-risk areas, to inform soldiers and providers of the risk of developing malaria after leaving Korea.
Mil Med 2009 Apr
PMID:Plasmodium vivax malaria among U.S. forces Korea in the Republic of Korea, 1993-2007. 1948 13

Sand fly fever has severely impacted military missions in southern Europe and the Middle East for hundreds of years. After a brief respite following the malaria eradication programs of World War II, it has returned as a significant disease among residents in and travelers to the Mediterranean rim. It is a more severe disease now, with potential vectors in the United States. Sand fly fever is discussed in terms of its viruses, vectors, disease, control, and potential domestic impact.
Mil Med 2009 Apr
PMID:Sand fly fever: what have we learned in one hundred years? 1948 15

Malaria was eradicated and the Republic of Korea (ROK) declared "malaria free" in 1979. However, in 1993, a temperate strain of vivax malaria, expressing both latent and nonlatent disease populations, re-emerged near the demilitarized zone (DMZ), rapidly spread to civilian sectors near the DMZ, and increased exponentially in ROK military, veteran, and civilian populations through 1998. Malaria among all ROK populations decreased 5-fold from a high of 4142 cases in 2000 to a low of 826 cases in 2004, before increasing again to 2180 cases by 2007. Each malaria case in the ROK is reported in the metropolitan area/province where the diagnosis is made, which may be at some distance from the area where infection occurred. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain transmission sites since approximately 60% of vivax malaria in Korea is latent with symptoms occurring >1 month to 24 months after infection. A review of case diagnosis for civilian, veteran, and military populations shows that nearly all malaria south of Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces is the result of veterans exposed in malaria high-risk areas along the DMZ and returning to their hometowns where they later develop malaria. Thus, malaria currently remains localized near the DMZ with limited transmission in provinces south of Seoul and has not spread throughout Korea as previously hypothesized. This report describes the reemergence of vivax malaria cases in civilian and military ROK populations and U.S. military personnel and assesses variables related to its transmission and geographic distribution.
Mil Med 2009 Jul
PMID:Malaria in the Republic of Korea, 1993-2007. Variables related to re-emergence and persistence of Plasmodium vivax among Korean populations and U.S. forces in Korea. 1968 50

Vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and leishmaniasis are a threat to military forces deployed outside of the United States. The availability of specific information on the vector-borne disease threat (e.g., presence or absence of a specific disease agent, temporal and geographic distribution of competent vectors, and vector infection rates) allows for effective implementation of appropriate measures to protect our deployed military forces. Vector diagnostics can provide critical, real-time information crucial to establishing effective vector prevention/control programs. In this article we provide an overview of current vector diagnostic capabilities, evaluate the use of vector diagnostics in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and discuss the concept of operations under which vector diagnostics are employed.
Mil Med 2009 Sep
PMID:Use of vector diagnostics during military deployments: recent experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. 1978 Mar 65

Diseases always have a significant impact during military deployments. We evaluated the operational impact of health problems observed in a French infantry battalion (n = 690) during a 4-month assignment in Ivory Coast. In all, 55.7% of soldiers consulted at least once and sought care for 608 health problems. A total operational incapacity was observed in 22.2% of cases (7.6/1,000 person-days). The 5 diseases causing the greatest operational incapacity were diarrhea (2.1 days lost/1,000 person-days), musculoskeletal diseases and injuries (53.7 days), malaria (29 days), dental diseases (30.9 days), and fevers of undetermined origin (7 days). The incidence of diarrhea and skin infections was higher in rank-and-file troops than among noncommissioned officers. It was also higher during the mission's first month, when individual susceptibility to infections is suspected to be highest. Some diseases that are not serious nonetheless have a significant operational impact and should be better studied to determine preventive measures.
Mil Med 2009 Sep
PMID:Operational impact of health problems observed during a four-month military deployment in Ivory Coast. 1978 Mar 66

Mefloquine is an antimalarial drug developed by the U.S. Army Antimalarial Drug Program in conjunction with the World Health Organization and Hoffmann-La Roche to address the problem of chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria encountered during the Vietnam War. Despite the expenditure of millions of dollars over a 20-year period, it is unlikely that mefloquine will ever be used for U.S. soldiers deployed to South East Asia. Although mefloquine met the specifications set by its developers, its usefulness is now limited by the rapid evolution of drug resistance following its release to the civilian population. Drug development for particular military needs was compromised by a rapid biological response from the parasite and commercial concerns. In an era of shrinking military budgets, military drug development programs will by necessity be more resource constrained, thus yielding fewer new drugs per decade. In the short-term, emphasis should be directed toward adapting available antimicrobial drugs for antimalarial purposes.
Mil Med 1994 Apr
PMID:1993 Sir Henry Wellcome Medal and Prize recipient. The rise and fall of mefloquine as an antimalarial drug in South East Asia. 2005 19

The objective of this case report is to present an interesting case of a mixed malaria infection of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in a U.S. service member deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the use of rapid malaria tests with microscopy for the diagnosis of malaria and the treatment of this infection.
Mil Med 2011 Oct
PMID:Infectious disease case: mixed malaria infection with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in a deployed service member in Afghanistan. 2212 40

Over the last several years, piracy off the coast of East Africa has resulted in significant risks to merchant vessels and their crews. There have been multiple instances of both pirates being detained and captives being liberated by military vessels. The unique health concerns of this population have been minimally studied and military health providers must be prepared to identify and manage potential medical conditions. In an attempt to provide further guidance for providers, this article reviews the limited available literature and identifies potential health concerns of pirates and recently released captives. In addition to traumatic injuries, specific medical concerns that must be considered include infectious disease, wound management, dehydration, hypothermia, malnutrition, electrolyte disturbance, and potential psychiatric conditions. Infectious disease is also a major threat. Malaria, tuberculosis, and intestinal parasites likely pose the greatest risk. A careful medical screening along with an extensive intake history and physical examination are essential for rapid identification and initial management of this unique population.
Mil Med 2012 Sep
PMID:The acute medical management of detained Somali pirates and their captives. 2302 41

Malaria in Jamaica is a real, but uncommon entity and poses a health risk to our Department of Defense personnel, which should not be overlooked in returning travelers. Malaria in Jamaica was actually considered eradicated in the 1960s, but there has been a reemergence attributed to the combination of Haitian nationals as well as endemic Anopheles mosquitoes in the Kingston area. Our facility recently admitted a 33-year-old Marine who had two Emergency Department visits before being evaluated for malaria. He had returned from Kingston 14 days before presentation, which included fever, night sweats, and headache followed by a period of malaise prior to the next paroxysm. He was found to have a 1.5% parasitemia with Malaria falciparum that borders on severe malaria. Fortunately, he was treated effectively with atovaquone/proguanil and had a favorable outcome. The Center for Disease Control acknowledges that malaria is present in Jamaica, but only recommends mosquito avoidance without prophylaxis. This case emphasizes the need to consider malaria in differential diagnosis in Jamaica as well as in any returning travelers with fever because of broad global travel.
Mil Med 2014 Jun
PMID:Malaria in a returning traveler from Jamaica. 2490 39

Plasmodium vivax malaria reemerged in the Republic of Korea in 1993 after it had been declared malaria free in 1979. Malaria rapidly increased and peaked in 2000 with 4,142 cases with lower but variable numbers of cases reported through 2011. We examined the association of regional climate trends over the Korean Peninsula relative to malaria cases in U.S. military and Republic of Korea soldiers, veterans, and civilians from 1950 to 2011. Temperatures and anomaly trends in air temperature associated with satellite remotely sensed outgoing long-wave radiation were used to observe temporal changes. These changes, particularly increasing air temperatures, in combination with moderate rains throughout the malaria season, and distribution of malaria vectors, likely supported the 1993 reemergence and peaks in malaria incidence that occurred through 2011 by accelerating the rate of parasite development in mosquitoes and increased numbers as a result of an expansion of larval habitat, thereby increasing the vectorial capacity of Anopheles vectors. High malaria rates associated with a favorable climate were similarly observed during the Korean War. These findings support the need for increased investigations into malaria predictive models using climate-related variables.
Mil Med 2014 Jul
PMID:Association of temperature and historical dynamics of malaria in the Republic of Korea, including reemergence in 1993. 2500 69


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