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Reportable Medical Events, Military Health System Facilities, Week 31, Ending August 5, 2023

Image of RMEs. This graph depicts case counts for the five most frequent reportable medical event conditions among active component U.S. Armed Forces service members during the preceding year.

Reportable Medical Events are documented in the Disease Reporting System internet by Military Health System providers and public health officials to monitor, control, and prevent the occurrence and spread of diseases of public health interest or readiness importance. These reports are reviewed by each service’s public health surveillance hub. The DRSi collects reports for over 70 different RMEs, including infectious and non-infectious conditions, outbreak reports, STI risk surveys, and tuberculosis contact investigation reports. A complete list of RMEs is available in the 2022 Armed Forces Reportable Medical Events Guidelines and Case Definitions.1 Data reported in these tables are provisional and do not represent conclusive evidence until case reports are fully validated.

Click on the Table to access a 508-compliant version

Total active component cases reported per week are displayed for the top five RMEs for the previous year. Each month, the graph is updated with the top five RMEs, and is presented with the current month’s (July 2023) top five RMEs, which may differ from previous months. COVID-19 is excluded from these graphs due to changes in reporting and case definition updates in 2023.

This graph of 5 lines on the x-, or horizontal, axis depicts case counts for the 5 most frequent reportable medical event conditions among active component service members during the past 52 weeks. Chlamydia remains the most common reportable medical condition, with counts of approximately 300 cases per week. Gonorrhea is generally the second-most common reported condition, averaging approximately 80 cases per week, but in week 26 of 2023 it was surpassed by heat illness, which outnumbered gonorrhea cases for 5 weeks, until week 31, when heat illness cases declined just below the number of gonorrhea cases. Ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis cases spiked in week 28 of 2023 to become the fifth-most common reportable medical condition, but rapidly declined thereafter. Reported syphilis cases declined dramatically in week 27, to under 10 cases reported, but rebounded to normal levels, around 50 cases, in week 28.

In July 2023, 28 cases of ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis were reported from a single Army reporting unit between weeks 28 and 31. Most cases (n=27) are classified as suspect, with one confirmed case. Dates of onset range from June 5 to July 13, 2023. Etiologic agents listed include Ehrlichia ewingii (n=14), Ehrlichia chaffeensis (n=6), Panola Mountain Ehrlichia (n=6), and undetermined or unlisted ehrlichiosis or anaplasmosis (n=2). All individuals had tick bites, which were documented, while attending Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, KY. The majority (n=26) of individuals did not present with any symptoms of infection but were advised to inquire about prophylactic treatment. 

Author Affiliations

Defense Centers for Public Health–Aberdeen, Disease Epidemiology Branch

References

  1. Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. Armed Forces Reportable Medical Events. Accessed September 6, 2023. https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Health-Readiness/AFHSD/Reports-and-Publications/Armed-Forces-Reportable-Medical-Events
  2. Defense Manpower Data Center. Department of Defense Active Duty Military Personnel by Rank/Grade of Service, October 31, 2022. https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports
  3. Defense Manpower Data Center. Armed Forces Strength Figures for January 31, 2023. https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports
  4. Navy Medicine. Surveillance and Reporting Tools—DRSI: Disease Reporting System Internet. https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Marine-Corps-Public-Health-Center/Preventive-Medicine/Program-and-Policy-Support/Disease-Surveillance/DRSI

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Chlamydia, by far the most frequently reported medical event (RME) with the MHS, declined by 17% in October, to 1,190 cases, from 1,437 cases (adjusted) in September; this follows a 15% decline from August to September. Gonorrhea, the second highest RME, declined 15% in October, to 192 cases reported cases in September, from 225 cases (adjusted). ...

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Last Updated: October 11, 2023
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