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Surveillance snapshot: Illness and injury burdens, reserve component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2021

Image of reserve snapshot. Army 1st Lt. Nicholas Wankum, a physical therapist at Madigan Army Medical Center, evaluated the progress Marine Staff Sgt. Dalton Everhart made in his range of motion since the recruiter came to the emergency department after an injury nearly a month before this September 2019 visit (U.S. Army photo).

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Article
Mar 1, 2022

Obesity prevalence among active component service members prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, January 2018–July 2021

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for military members to stay fit to fight. The body mass index is a tool that can be used to determine if an individual is at an appropriate weight for their height. A person’s index is determined by their weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Airman 1st Class Destinee Sweeney)

This study examined monthly prevalence of obesity and exercise in active component U.S. military members prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had a small effect on the trend of obesity in the active component U.S. military and that obesity prevalence continues to increase.

Article
Mar 1, 2022

Update: Malaria, U.S. Armed Forces, 2021

Mosquitos – like this one, collected as part of a military study in North Carolina – were used during USAMRDC’s initial RTS,S vaccine studies nearly 40 years ago. (Photo courtesy: AFC Kimberly Barrera)

Malaria infection remains an important health threat to U.S. service members who are located in endemic areas because of long-term duty assignments, participation in shorter-term contingency operations, or personal travel. In 2021, a total of 20 service members were diagnosed with or reported to have malaria.

Article
Mar 1, 2022

Brief Report: Refractive Surgery Trends at Tri-Service Refractive Surgery Centers and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fiscal Years 2000–2020

Cadet Saverio Macrina, U.S. Military Academy West Point, receives corneal cross-linking procedure at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Va., Nov. 21, 2016. (DoD photo by Reese Brown)

Since the official introduction of laser refractive surgery into clinical practice throughout the Military Health System (MHS) in fiscal year 2000, these techniques have been heavily implemented in the tri-service community to better equip and improve the readiness of the U.S. military force.

Article
Dec 1, 2021

Update: Osteoarthritis and Spondylosis, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2016–2020

Osteoarthritis (OA) knee . film x-ray AP ( anterior - posterior ) and lateral view of knee show narrow joint space, osteophyte ( spur ), subchondral sclerosis, knee joint inflammation. Photo by: iStockPhoto

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most com­mon adult joint disease, is primarily a degenerative disorder of the entire joint organ, including the subchondral bone, synovium, and periarticular structures (e.g., tendons, ligaments, bursae). Spondylosis, often referred to as OA of the spine, is characterized by degenerative changes in the vertebral discs, joints, ...

Article
Dec 1, 2021

Surveillance Snapshot: Donovanosis Among Active Component Service Members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2011–2020

This photomicrograph of a tissue sample extracted from a lesion in the inguinal region of the female granuloma inguinale, or Donovanosis patient, depicted in PHIL 6431, revealed a white blood cell (WBC) that contained the pathognomonic finding of Donovan bodies, which were encapsulated, Gram-negative rods, representing the responsible bacterium Klebsiella granulomatis, formerly known as Calymmatobacterium granulomatis. Photo credit: CDC/ Susan Lindsley

Donovanosis, or granuloma inguinale, is an uncommon sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is much rarer than chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Donovanosis is found mainly in tropical regions, and is highly correlated with populations affected by poverty and lack of access to hygiene and public health infrastructure. However, recent news reports ...

Article
Nov 1, 2021

Update: Plant Dermatitis Among Active Component Service Members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2010–2020

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

Plant dermatitis is an allergic inflammatory skin reaction in response to the oils of poisonous plants. In the U.S., the most common dermatitis-causing plant genus is the Toxicodendron (formerly Rhus). Approximately 50%–75% of the U.S. adult population are susceptible to skin reactions upon exposure to Toxicodendron oil or oleoresin, called urushiol.

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Last Updated: July 11, 2023
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