ASSESSMENT OF ARTHROPOD VECTORS OF INFECTIOUS-DISEASES IN AREAS OF USTROOP DEPLOYMENT IN THE PERSIAN-GULF

Beginning in August 1990, approximately 800,000 coalition troops were deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Deser t Storm. There was substantial concern about arthropod-borne diseases, particularly sand fly fever and cutaneous leishmaniasis, because of h igh morbidity rates in the Persian Gulf during World War II (WWII). In sharp contrast to WWII, there was no report of sand fly fever among c oalition forces and only 31 cases of leishmaniasis among 697,000 U.S. troops. To further evaluate the risk of arthropod-borne diseases, an e ntomologic survey was conducted in 12 areas of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia . A total of 1,556 arthropods was collected during four survey periods in 1992. The suspected vectors of cutaneous Leishmania major infectio n, sand fly fever, West Nile fever, Rift Valley fever, and Crimean-Con go hemorrhagic fever were identified; however, there was no evidence o f arboviruses or Leishmania among collected specimens nor from 51 trap ped rodents. There are several possible reasons for the low risk of ar thropod-borne infectious diseases among Desert Shield/Storm troops in an area where suspected vectors frequently were found: the use of inse cticides and repellents, and the deployment of most ground troops to t he open desert during the cooler, winter period-conditions least favor able for the transmission of arthropod-borne diseases.