Gulf War and Health Volume 5: Infectious Diseases (2007) / Chapter Skim
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6 Diseases and Agents of Special Concern to Veterans of the Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom
6 Diseases and Agents of Special Concern to Veterans of the Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom
Pages 181-200
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From page 181... ...
. This chapter provides information on each of those diseases and agents -- Al Eskan disease, idiopathic acute eosinophilic pneumonia, wound and nosocomial infections (for example, infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii)
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From page 182... ...
. They refer to such a chronic immune response as the "second phase of Al Eskan disease", which they imply might explain some of the health problems noted in Gulf War veterans (Korenyi-Both et al.
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From page 183... ...
They note that given the sand-mediated damage to helicopters in the fields and silicosis in Somali camels, sand-mediated disease in humans would be expected. More than 13 years have passed since the initial description of Al Eskan disease appeared in the literature, but little progress has been made in linking chronic respiratory diseases in military personnel to exposure to Persian Gulf sand.
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From page 184... ...
Organisms of environmental origin that are prevalent in wound infections can colonize fomites and be transmitted to others via hospital personnel. Nosocomial infections in military hospitals may have different microbial profiles from those in civilian hospitals in that they represent soil or water organisms prevalent in wounds suffered in explosions or combat.
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From page 185... ...
Concerns Regarding Acinetobacter baumannii One condition that is more prevalent in OEF and OIF troops than in civilian settings is infection with Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex, a well-recognized cause of wound infection in general and among military troops in particular (CDC 2004; Davis et al.
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From page 186... ...
Emerging infectious diseases, by definition, may arise from unanticipated sources. A previously unrecognized Acinetobacter-like organism from dog and cat bites was reported in 2002 (Kaiser et al.
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From page 187... ...
. Wound infections occur shortly after the wounds themselves, with exceptions, such as infections associated with chronic osteomyelitis that are rare with modern medical care.
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From page 188... ...
Regional Experiences in Non-Americans A number of reports of A baumannii and other wound infections have come from countries neighboring Iraq or Afghanistan.
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From page 189... ...
. Wound infections in a Saudi Arabian hospital were assessed in the hot summer months of an unspecified year, possibly 1994 or 1995; of 2331 wounds, 193 (8%)
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From page 190... ...
baumannii and combat-related wound infections in southwest and south-central Asia is not unique. Summary Both wound infections and nosocomial infections are hazards for US personnel deployed to OEF and OIF.
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From page 191... ...
They noted a study by Steele (2000) that found chronic symptoms consistent with GWI in 34.2% of Gulf War veterans who reported receiving vaccines during the war, 11.5% of Gulf War-era veterans (people in the military in 1990-1991 who did not serve in the Gulf War)
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From page 192... ...
Of those without pre-existing antibodies, 19.2% of Gulf War veterans and 13.7% of nondeployed veterans developed serologic evidence of new M fermentans infections.
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From page 193... ...
Doxycycline treatment has no effect on the health of symptomatic Gulf War veterans." Summary Several studies by Nicolson and colleagues report a link between M fermentans and health problems in Gulf War veterans (Nicolson et al.
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From page 194... ...
baumannii infections are unlikely to occur, given modern medical and surgical treatments. The evidence does not support mycoplasma infections as a cause of the symptoms reported by Gulf War veterans.
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From page 195... ...
2002. Environmental contamination during a carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii outbreak in an intensive care unit.
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From page 196... ...
2004. Investigation of an outbreak of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in trauma intensive care unit.
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From page 197... ...
2000. The role of the sand in chemical warfare agent exposure among Persian Gulf War veterans: Al Eskan disease and "dirty dust".
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From page 198... ...
2000. Lack of serological evidence for Mycoplasma fermentans infection in army Gulf War veterans: A large scale case-control study.
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From page 199... ...
2004. Acute eosinophilic pneumonia among US Military personnel deployed in or near Iraq.
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From page 200... ...
2002. Acute eosinophilic pneumonia following cigarette smoking: A case report including cigarette-smoking challenge test.
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