ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
ROUTINE       
 
R 271542Z SEP 02 ZYB MIN PSN 148519J28
 
FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC
 
TO ALNAV
 
UNCLAS //N06000//
ALNAV 076/02
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV//
 
SUBJ/WEST NILE VIRUS SURVEILLANCE/POLICY AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS//
 
REF/A/RMG/NEHC/291802ZMAY2002/-/NOTAL//
 
REF/B/DOC/ASH(HA)/11JUL2002/-/NOTAL//
 
REF/C/DOC/DVECC JAX/01AUG2002//
 
NARR/REF A, IS NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CENTER MSG ON MEDICAL
SURVEILLANCE PLAN FOR WEST NILE VIRUS - CY2002.  REF B, IS ASD(HA)
POLICY MEMO ON WEST NILE VIRUS SURVEILLANCE.  BOTH ARE AVAILABLE AT
WWW-NEHC.MED.NAVY.MIL/PREVMED/ENTO/WESTNILE.HTM.  REF C, IS NAVY
DISEASE VECTOR ECOLOGY AND CONTROL CENTER JACKSONVILLE WEST NILE
VIRUS SURVEILLANCE GUIDE 2002, AVAILABLE AT DVECC-JAX.MED.NAVY.MIL.//
 
RMKS/1.  WEST NILE VIRUS (WNV) IS TRANSMITTED BY MOSQUITOES AND CAN
CAUSE ENCEPHALITIS (INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN).  MOST INFECTIONS ARE
UNNOTICED OR MILD, BUT SEVERE ILLNESS CAN OCCUR (MORE LIKELY IN
PERSONS OVER 50).  WNV HAS BEEN SPREADING WEST AND SOUTH FROM THE
EAST COAST SINCE 1999, AND IS NOW IN AT LEAST 40 STATES, INCLUDING
ALL STATES EAST OF MONTANA/WYOMING/COLORADO/NEW MEXICO. SO FAR THIS
YEAR IT HAS CAUSED OVER 2,000 CASES OF HUMAN ILLNESS, INCLUDING MORE
THAN 100 DEATHS.  VICTIMS HAVE RANGED IN AGE FROM 1 TO 94, WITH HALF
OF THE CASES UNDER AGE 54.  DEATHS HAVE RANGED IN AGE FROM 48 TO 94.
REF A PROVIDED GUIDANCE AND OFFERED ASSISTANCE IN WNV SURVEILLANCE
AND REPORTING.  REF B NOW REQUIRES CERTAIN ACTIONS BY NAVY AND
MARINE CORPS INSTALLATIONS AND MEDICAL ACTIVITIES.
 
2.  INSTALLATIONS.
 
A.  ALL INSTALLATIONS IN STATES WHERE WNV HAS BEEN FOUND (SEE ABOVE)
SHALL CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE FOR MOSQUITOES, AND CONTROL MEASURES AS
NEEDED, IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOCAL/STATE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS.
OBTAIN GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE FROM NAVAL DISEASE AND VECTOR ECOLOGY
AND CONTROL CENTER, JACKSONVILLE, FL.  REF C PROVIDES GUIDANCE.
CONTACT THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT AT (904) 542-2424 OR DSN 942-2424.
B.  INSTALLATIONS SHALL ALSO CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE FOR DEAD OR SICK
BIRDS.  TESTING OF BIRDS CAN BE ARRANGED EITHER THROUGH STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS OR THROUGH THE USGS.  BIRD COLLECTION FOR USGS MAY BE
ARRANGED THROUGH THE US ARMY VETERINARY COMMAND LOCAL
REPRESENTATIVE.
C.  INSTALLATIONS WHICH HAVE HORSES STABLED SHOULD ARRANGE FOR WNV
IMMUNIZATION AND TESTING OF POSSIBLY INFECTED ANIMALS THROUGH USA
VETCOM POC, MAJ STEVE OSBORN AT (210) 221-8702 OR DSN 471-8702.
 
3.  MILITARY TREATMENT FACILITIES.
A.  ENSURE APPROPRIATE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AWARENESS OF BOTH
CLINICAL ASPECTS OF WNV ILLNESS AND OF REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT CDC WEBSITE AT WWW.CDC.GOV/NCIDOD/DVBID/
WESTNILE/INDEX.HTM.
B.  CONDUCT SEROLOGIC TESTING OF SUSPECTED CLINICAL CASES.  TESTING
OF SERA CAN BE ARRANGED THROUGH MOST STATE HEALTH LABORATORIES OR
THROUGH THE US ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.  POC IS DR. GEORGE LUDWIG AT (301) 619-4941 OR DSN
343-4941.
C.  REPORT SUSPECTED AND CONFIRMED HUMAN CASES OF WNV ENCEPHALITIS
TO NAVY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CENTER THROUGH NORMAL MEDICAL EVENT
REPORTING IAW BUMEDINST 6220.12A USING ICD-9 CODE 062 AND MENTIONING
WEST NILE IN REMARKS.  THE NEW CODE FOR WEST NILE, 066.4, IS NOT YET
RECOGNIZED BY OUR ELECTRONIC DISEASE REPORTING SYSTEMS.  IN
ADDITION, REPORT CONFIRMED HUMAN CASES DIRECT TO CDC AT (970)
266-3592, TO NEHC AT (757) 953-0700, AND TO STATE HEALTH
AUTHORITIES.
D.  IN AREAS WHERE WEST NILE ACTIVITY IS HIGH, RISK OF INFECTION CAN
BE MINIMIZED BY STANDARD MOSQUITO AVOIDANCE MEASURES SUCH A WEARING
LONG PANTS AND LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS, USING A PERMETHRIN-CONTAINING
PRODUCT ON CLOTHING, AND USING A DEET-CONTAINING PRODUCT ON EXPOSED
SKIN.  MAKE THIS INFORMATION WIDELY AVAILABLE TO YOUR BENEFICIARY
POPULATION.
 
4.  POINT OF CONTACT IS CDR FRED LANDRO AT BUMED. TEL (202)
762-3586, DSN 762-3586, EMAIL FJLANDRO@US.MED.NAVY.MIL.
 
5.  RELEASED BY THE HONORABLE GORDON R. ENGLAND, SECRETARY OF THE
NAVY.//
 
BT
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