Preventive medicine the solution for future patients

Photo By Staff Sgt. Bruno Bego | Navy Lt. Joseph W. Diclaro II, from Beckley, W. Va., a medical entomologist who holds a doctorate in medical entomology and serves with Public Health and Preventive Medicine Detachment, Alpha Surgical Company, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward), shows Chief Petty Officer Heath W. Wallace, from Bolivar, Mo., an independent duty corpsman with Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division (Fwd.), how to properly assemble a mosquito trap during an occupational environmental health site assessment June 29, at Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge, Afghanistan. Over the past few months, the sailors completed 50 site surveys providing critical medical data for future reference.  

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ZEEBRUGGE, AFGHANISTAN

06.29.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Bruno Bego 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ZEEBRUGGE, Afghanistan – Due to many post-deployment effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder and Gulf War Syndrome, or diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and leishmaniasis, Regional Command Southwest released an order requiring units across Helmand province, Afghanistan, to conduct health and environmental assessments to prevent future diseases and also to collect data necessary for future medical research.

In response, sailors with the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Detachment, Alpha Surgical Company, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) conducted an occupational environmental health site assessment June 29, at Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge, Afghanistan.

“We are looking for any type of unhealthy exposure troops might be facing every day,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Marsha L. Hubert, From Discovery Bay, Calif., a preventive medicine technician with 2nd MLG (Fwd.). “Throughout the assessments we are looking for toxins in the soil or in the air, potential hazards in the water they are using to drink and shower, [insects and animals] they might be exposed to and could transmit diseases, as well as if they are treating the water and properly disposing of the trash.”

All the information collected from every visit is sent to the U.S. Army Public Health Command for archival purposes.

“The inspections were mandated by congress,” explained Lt. Joseph W. Diclaro II, from Beckley, W. Va., a medical entomologist who holds a doctorate in medical entomology and serves with the medical detachment. “We are required to look for these hazards where U.S. forces are currently deployed to prevent future diseases such as the ‘Gulf War syndrome.’

According to a document released by the U.S Army Public Health Command in February of 2010, after the Gulf War, the health complaints of nearly 175,250 troops were evaluated against assumed types of environmental pollutants to which they may have been exposed to while deployed, but the evaluations were hindered due to the absence of medical data and guidelines to assess military exposure conditions. An extensive federal report to congress released in November of 2008, confirms the Gulf War syndrome is a real illness.

“We had people who came back from the Gulf War and after a few years they started to develop symptoms such as chronic fatigue, headache, muscle pain and sleep disturbances,” Diclaro said. “That’s why it is so important to collect and report everything, so in the future we can go back and investigate diseases that might develop.”

During the visits, the team will collect data as well as provide immediate feedback to personnel in the different FOBs and combat outposts about ways to mitigate or even eliminate immediate hazards for personnel operating in the area.

“The site assessments will allow us to evaluate hazards on the different places where U.S. forces are stationed throughout Afghanistan,” Diclaro explained. “Or anything that might cause a long-term effect to our health.

“If we see anything that could risk the good health of the individuals, we proceed to inform the leadership of the base so it can be corrected,” Diclaro said. “The key here is to prevention.”

Over the past few months, the sailors completed 50 site surveys providing critical medical data for future reference.

• Date Taken: 06.29.2011
• Date Posted: 07.03.2011 08:33
• Story ID: 73181
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE ZEEBRUGGE, AF