Photo By Tiziana Consoli | SINAI, Egypt (July 13, 2026) Representatives from the Multinational Force and...... read more read more
SOUTH CAMP, Sinai, Egypt - Representatives from U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) EURAFCENT met with leaders of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) during a July visit to the Sinai Peninsula.
The engagement introduced Col. Matthew Westhoff, the incoming MFO Force Surgeon following the transition of responsibilities from Maj. Joshua B. Geiger, to NAMRU EURAFCENT’s surveillance and preventive medicine efforts. Staff with both organizations discussed ongoing collaborations in monitoring, laboratory analysis and preventive medicine expertise aimed at identifying health threats before they affect deployed forces.
NAMRU EURAFCENT supports respiratory illness surveillance at military installations across AFRICOM and CENTCOM, including the MFO mission, where researchers use the Influenza-Like Illness Surveillance program to detect disease trends and support preventive medicine efforts.
“Sustaining these joint efforts moving forward is vital to protect deployed service members from debilitating localized health threats,” said Alia Zayed, entomology advisor for NAMRU EURAFCENT.
Looking ahead, leadership with NAMRU EURAFCENT and MFO explored opportunities to expand collaboration through a proposed One Health environmental surveillance initiative focused on recurrent diarrheal outbreaks. Supported by data from the ongoing Global Travelers' Diarrhea surveillance study, these efforts would combine environmental sampling and laboratory analysis to enable earlier outbreak detection and help mitigate the impact on U.S. service member health and readiness.
Collaboration activities include testing arthropod vectors for pathogens, monitoring insecticide resistance in vectors and developing risk maps to characterize vector-borne disease threats, such as leishmaniasis, West Nile virus and dengue.
“Historical data indicate that the Culex pipiens complex remains a common mosquito vector in the area, supporting preventive medicine efforts and risk assessments,” said Zayed.
The collaboration between NAMRU EURAFCENT and MFO began as an operational medical support effort in 1985, when researchers initiated sandfly monitoring activities in the region.
Over the following decades, the partnership expanded into epidemiological studies, vector monitoring programs, preventive medicine support and investigations that contributed to the identification of Leishmania parasites affecting military personnel and local vector populations.
"Partnerships like this are essential because protecting the health of personnel begins long before a service member becomes ill," said Cmdr. Micah Kinney, executive officer of NAMRU EURAFCENT during the July meeting. "The opportunity to meet with new leadership, discuss shared priorities, and strengthen existing relationships helps ensure that scientific expertise continues to support forward-deployed personnel in the field."
NAMRU EURAFCENT, part of Navy Medicine Research & Development, conducts research, surveillance and studies of vaccines, therapeutic agents, diagnostic assays and vector control measures in the EUCOM, AFRICOM and CENTCOM Areas of Responsibility to better prevent and treat infectious diseases in support of Navy, Marine Corps and joint U.S. warfighter health, readiness and lethality.
| Date Taken: | 08.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2026 07:24 |
| Story ID: | 572398 |
| Location: | SOUTH SINAI, EG |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NAMRU EURAFCENT Reaffirms Decades-Long Partnership with MFO in Support of Force Health Protection, by Tiziana Consoli, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
