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DISEASE
One aspect of our environment that we need to be aware of is the presence and effect of disease. Many diseases arise and thrive in certain environmental conditions. Some diseases are caused by exposure to insects that thrive in specific weather conditions. Others are caused by exposure to our environment, such as the melanoma that is caused by prolonged exposure to the sun. These pages are updated as outbreaks of emerging diseases occur, and they include links that provide information specific to Soldiers on active duty, such as the Guidelines for Movement of Military Personnel from Foot-and-Mouth Disease Affected Countries.
 Avian Flu: Get the Facts
Avian influenza, or "bird flu", is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have, on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier...
Smallpox
Smallpox is an acute, contagious, and sometimes fatal disease caused by the variola virus (an orthopoxvirus), and marked by fever and a distinctive progressive skin rash.
 | West Nile Virus
Since its first incidence in the United States in 1999, there have been 4,156 total cases of West Nile virus illness reported to CDC and confirmed, including 284 fatalities. |
USACHPPM Fact Sheets
Get the facts about rodent- and insect-borne diseases as well as nuisance pests, such as ants and cockroaches. These Fact Sheets are provided by the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine's Entomological Sciences Program.
DOD Insect Repellant System
For optimum protection, Soldiers should utilize the DOD INSECT REPELLENT SYSTEM. In addition to proper wear of the battle dress uniform (BDUs), which provides a physical barrier to insects, this system includes the concurrent use of both skin and clothing repellents. |  |
 | Dengue Fever
Dengue is primarily a disease of the tropics, and the viruses that cause it are maintained in a cycle that involves humans and Aedes aegypti, a domestic, day-biting mosquito that prefers to feed on humans. |
Foot and Mouth Disease
Foot-and-mouth afflicts cloven-hoofed animals such as pigs, sheep and cattle, causing severe weight loss and reduced milk supply. Its impact on the agriculture and food industries is severe. Health-wise, it is not harmful to humans. |  |
 | Mad Cow Disease
Evidence has shown a relationship between outbreaks in Europe of a disease in cattle called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease") and a disease in humans called new variant Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease. |
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