Parasitic Disease in the U.S. Navy
Abstract
Computerized inpatient medical records for enlisted naval personnel from 1975-1983 were searched for first hospitalizations due to any of 33 parasitic diseases. Average annual age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated per 100,000 person-years and were found to range from 0.0 (viral encephalitis, louse-borne typhus, trypanosomiasis, schistosomiasis) to 2.7 for acariasis. Overall, seamen (SIR = 1.5, p<0.05) and hospital corpsmen (SIR = 2.6, p < 0.05) were at increased risk for hospitalization for parasitic diseases. blacks showed lower rates of acariasis (p < 0.05) than Caucasians or other racial groups, but higher rates of trichomoniasis (p < 0.05). Hospitalizations for amebiasis, malaria, cestode parasites, and intestinal helminths were more frequent among non-caucasian, non-black Navy personnel. Cultural dietary practices among some ethnic groups, such as Filipinos, may place them at higher risk for certain parasitic diseases. There were three outbreakes of malaria identified aboard ship. These were presumed to be due to the crews of these ships coming in contact with infectious mosquitoes more or less simultaneously. Keywords: Disease vectors; Infectious diseases.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 21, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA213068
Entities
People
- Frank C. Garland
- Laurence D. Mueller
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center