Force Preventive Medicine Service is now on the internet! As the Chief, Force Preventive Medicine Service, I felt that I should develop a website to provide basic information on the Multinational Force and Observers as well as the mission of Force Preventive Medicine Service (FPMS). As people come and go from FPMS, this page will serve as a information resource to incoming enlisted, NCO's and Officer's to FPMS and the MFO in general. This site is "unofficial", since at the time of development, there was no "official" site to place this page on. The information on this site will be public information, and in no way will effect the operational security of the MFO. Questions for the developement of this site can be addressed to CPT James T. Flanagan Jr, at permanent email address [email protected]. Any input to myself or the future personnel of FPMS, would be appreciated.
- Leishamaniasis Season.
- 22 January 1998
- Hand Held Foggers For Remote Sites
- 17 May 1998
- Force Preventive Medicine Service has had a plan approved to implement extra protection for our soldiers at the remotes sites against insect threats and associated diseases. The hand held foggers will be issued to each remote site in FijiBATT, since they have the highest threat of Leishamaniasis. Each of the Sector Control Centers (SCC's) of ColumbianBATT and U.S.BATT will receive a hand held fogger to be used among their remote sites. This plan will go into affect once the equipment is received. FPMS is planning to make a instructional video to go with the foggers so that Site Commanders can use this video to train their soldiers when needed. The training video will also include personal protective measures (PPE) against insects. This includes the Deet Lotion, the Pemethrin impregnated into the uniform, the use of personal and bednetting and proper wear of the uniform. FPMS is looking at MAXIMUM�protection for the soldiers of the MFO against insect and arthropod threats.
FPMS is currently involved with preparing remote sites for Leishamaniasis Season. Leishamanaiasis is a collection of protozoan caused diseases which oocurs in many countries throughout the world; including the United States and Latin America. The local form of the illness in the North Sinai Peninsula is Cutaneous Leishamaniasis (CL), the skin form. The disease is caused by Leishmania major, which is transmitted from infected wild rodents through the Sandfly (phlebotomus papatasi) bites. The season is between April and October with a peak of most bites in August. The Sandfly is nocturnal and active between 1800 hrs to 0800 hrs, with most bites occuring between 2200 hrs and 0400 hrs. The local reservoir as mentioned before is wild rodents, but possibly can be dogs and people as well. If bitten by an infected Sandfly, the result will be nodular skin lesions that commonly evolve over the course of several months into usually painless slowly or non-healing ulcers (if left un treated) up to several centimeters in diameter. While not an acutely debilitating disease, its presence can be psychologically disturbing. The Medical Treatment Facility can easily treat this problem with medication.
PREVENTION. Prevention is the key to avoiding Leishamanaiasis. Education of soldiers, site medics and site Commanders through our site Commander Course. It is important that site Commander ENFORCE personal protective measures to avoid this disease. Prevention involves clothing that covers as much of the body as possible during the nocturnal hours of risk; this means no shorts or rolled up sleeves. Use of mosquito netting on exposed skin during the hours of risk will help as well. Commanders need to ensure that their soldiers are not only using mosquito netting, but using insect repellant on exposed skin - DEET and treating their clothing with repellant - PERMETHRIN. With the proper wear of clothing, the use of netting, bednetting, DEET and Permethrin, the chances of getting bitten by the Sandfly are greatly reduced.
Force Preventive Medicine Service is working hard with troops at the remote sites to prepare early for Leishamanaiasis season. We are providing the necessary training to contingents, the contingent Commanders, as well as evaluating their supplies needed for proper prevention strategies. For further information, please contact the Chief of Force Preventive Medicine via email.
No Other Updates To Current Activities Received Since November 1998
