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Troops being treated for leishmaniasis

Mar-20-2004 » Filed Under: Iraq News

Since there has been some discussion of sand fleas on the bulletin board, here's an article worth reading. On the right-hand side of the article are some prevention tips.

[Link to Full Article]
By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, March 20, 2004

ARLINGTON, Va. — About 500 soldiers who have served in Iraq have been diagnosed with a skin disease caused by sand flies in the largest outbreak of leishmaniasis faced by the U.S. military since World War II, according to Defense Department doctors.

The disease is caused by parasites transmitted via sand fly saliva, and comes in three forms: cutaneous, affecting the skin; mucosal, affecting the mouth, nose and throat; and visceral, affecting internal organs, which can be fatal if untreated.

All but two of the cases diagnosed so far have been the cutaneous form and all but three of those were contracted in Iraq, according to Dr. Alan Magill, a specialist in infectious diseases at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Maryland.

(Thanks to Lorraine for the link)


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