displaced person being dusted with DDT to prevent typhus. U.S. Army photo from WWII

History and military buffs recognize the type of image above. Dozens, if not hundreds, of such photos appeared during and after World War Two. The discovery of the insecticide DDT meant that the lice and fleas responsible for spreading one of the deadliest illnesses on or off the battlefield could be killed. Hundreds of thousands of civilians forced by war into unsanitary conditions owe their lives to such spraying.
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A hospital corpsman with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade teaches a Marine how to insert a needle into a vein as part of a Combat Lifesaver Course here March 24. Marines gain this knowledge so they can support corpsmen in the field in need of assistance. Photo by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

Combating insurgency in Afghanistan is not the only challenge awaiting the Marines and sailors of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

In addition to enemy combatants, Marines deploying to Afghanistan’s Regional Command-South will also face a number of potential health threats.

The Central Asian country has been labeled by the World Health Organization as one of the least developed countries in the world, with 70 percent of the population living in extreme poverty and health vulnerability.

Several food-, water-, animal-, and vector-borne diseases are found commonly throughout the country. The most common of all, according to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, is malaria.

More than half of the country’s population, especially women and children, are vulnerable to malaria, according to an April 2008 report from the Integrated Regional Information Networks, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Ministry of Public Health and WHO estimated that up to 1.5 million cases of malaria occur each year throughout Afghanistan, most of which go untreated.

The 2nd MEB Health Services Support Section identified malaria, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, rabies, typhoid and paratyphoid fever as the diseases of highest risk in Regional Command-South. The medical staff has also identified tuberculosis, hepatitis E, sand fly fever, typhus, leishmaniasis, west nile fever and anthrax as some of the intermediate risks present in the Marines’ future area of operations.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Siruchek, a hospital corpsman with 2nd MEB, said preventive medicine is key for Marines and sailors deploying to the region.

The Walden, N.Y., native, who deployed to Afghanistan with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from March to October 2008, said malaria was their largest concern.

“Preventive treatment and education made the difference,” he said. “We always preached to them to take their medications once a week and they would be covered.”

Medication includes Mefloquine, a treatment used to combat malaria, which is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes.

The HSSS is taking these precautions and others. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Dittlinger, medical operations chief for the HSSS, said her team of corpsmen and Navy doctors has worked diligently since February to ensure the brigade is medically ready.

The Weirsdale, Fla., native said they have sprayed uniforms and sleeping systems to deter disease-carrying insects, ordered the necessary medications and conducted health, dental and neurological assessments. They have also performed vaccinations to prevent diseases such as yellow fever, anthrax, smallpox, hepatitis A, typhoid and measles.

But Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jose Gonzalezramos, a hospital corpsman and preventive medicine technician for the brigade, said there’s no preventive medicine offered for Marines to combat some of the diseases found in Afghanistan.

The Maunavo, Puerto Rico native said education plays the largest role in combating these diseases and other medical conditions overseas.

“If Marines listen to what we recommend to them, they will be healthier,” he said. “If there is a shot that can prevent you from contracting diseases, why not get it? If you know a water source is contaminated, why go near it? If Marines or sailors contract any of these diseases, they will be taken out of the fight temporarily or permanently.”

The HSSS team members said they are prepared in case anyone contracts one of the many diseases in the country, which the brigade medical planner, Navy Lt. Diana Loffgren, said is possible. She said there are currently several confirmed cases of malaria in troops serving in Afghanistan, but noted that none of these cases involve U.S. service members.

Despite the threats, the MEB medical personnel remain confident in the deployment being a success.

“I’m 100 percent confident in the corpsmen and doctors who will be taking care of the brigade’s medical issues, whether they are combat casualties or diseases,” Dittlinger said.

USMC
by Cpl. Aaron Rooks