Assessment of arthropod vectors of infectious diseases in areas of U.S. troop deployment in the Persian Gulf
Cope, S.E.; Schultz, G.W.; Richards, A.L.; Savage, H.M.; Smith, G.C.; Mitchell, C.J.; Fryauff, D.J.; Conlon, J.M.; Corneil, J.A.; Hyams, K.C.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 54(1): 49-53
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9637 PMID: 8651369 Document Number: 466229
Beginning in August 1990, approximately 800 000 coalition troops were deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. There was substantial concern about arthropod-borne diseases, particularly sandfly fever and cutaneous leishmaniasis, because of high morbidity rates in the Persian Gulf during World War II (WWII). In sharp contrast to WWII, there was no report of sandfly fever among coalition forces and only 31 cases of leishmaniasis (19 caused by Leishmania major and 12 by L. tropica) among 697 000 U.S. troops. To further evaluate the risk of arthropod-borne diseases, an entomological survey was conducted in 12 areas of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. A total of 1556 arthropods was collected during 4 survey periods in 1992. The suspected vectors of cutaneous L. major infection, sandfly fever, West Nile fever, Rift Valley fever and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever were identified; however, there was no evidence of arboviruses or Leishmania among collected specimens nor from 51 trapped rodents (35 Mus musculus, 8 Gerbillus sp., 8 Meriones crassus). 8 species of Phlebotominae (including Phlebotomus papatasi (69.1% of total), Sergentomyia antennata (14.4%) and S. clydei (11.4%)), at least 6 species of Culicidae (including Culex perexiguus (40.6% of total), C. antennatus (24.7%) and C. pipiens (20.7%)), at least 1 species of Culicoides (39.7% C. oxystoma and 60.3% Culicoides sp.) and 3 species of Hyalomma ticks (H. impeltatum (73.7% of total), H. dromedarii (23.7%) and H. marginatum turanicum (2.6%)) were identified. There are several possible reasons for the low risk of arthropod-borne infectious diseases among Desert Shield/Storm troops in an area where suspected vectors frequently were found: the use of insecticides and repellents, and the deployment of most ground troops to the open desert during the cooler, winter period-conditions least favourable for the transmission of arthropod-borne diseases.