Courtesy Photo | 250924-O-N1553-1195 GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (July 30, 2025) Lt. j.g. Brittani Ciomperlik...... read more read more
Aug. 3, 2025, GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -- Navy Medicine and the Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command (NMCFHPC) enterprise play a critical role in ensuring the health and readiness of forces stationed across the globe, and nowhere is this more evident than at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB).
Service members from the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE), a subordinate command of NMCFHPC, joined forces with the preventive medicine team at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Guantanamo Bay to carry out comprehensive insecticide resistance testing on Aedes albopictus, a mosquito species known for transmitting serious vector-borne diseases.
NMRTC Guantanamo Bay preventive medicine personnel collected Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, in residential and recreational areas on NSGB. NECE personnel then conducted insecticide resistance testing, assessing two insecticides currently used at the installation, to determine if the species appeared to be developing resistance.
Insecticides are critical mosquito control tools, especially when surveillance data indicates a heightened risk of disease transmission or when pest populations reach problematic levels. However, mosquitoes and other insects can develop resistance to insecticides after repeated exposure, reducing the effectiveness of control efforts and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
To safeguard the health of Department of the Navy and Joint forces and family members, insecticide resistance testing is essential. It ensures that the products in use remain effective against vector species like Aedes albopictus when rapid intervention is needed. Encouragingly, no evidence of resistance was detected during this round of testing, reassuring NSGB that current control measures remain effective.
This joint effort strengthens health protection for both service members and civilians stationed at NSGB. The base is home to several mosquito species capable of transmitting serious illnesses such as dengue fever and Zika virus. The data collected during this operation will support ongoing pest management and emergency preparedness efforts, contributing to the health and readiness of the installation, and the broader mission of U.S. Southern Command.
Navy and Marine Corps public health and preventive medicine personnel play a critical role in protecting the health and readiness of deployed forces throughout the world. Through the Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Units (NEPMUs), expeditionary units such as the Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Units (FDPMUs), and NMRTC, Fleet, and Fleet Marine Force preventive medicine personnel, these Sailors provide rapid, flexible, and scalable health protection capabilities. From identifying environmental and occupational health hazards to advising commanders on risk prevention and mitigation, their mission is to ensure Department of the Navy and Joint operational forces remain medically ready and mission capable—anytime, anywhere.
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.26.2026 13:58 |
| Story ID: | 556786 |
| Location: | CU |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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