Articles: disease.
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Disease epidemics have threatened American military preparedness and operational capabilities since 1775. The ongoing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic, which began in 2019, again demonstrates the significant potential for infectious diseases to impact military units and threaten military readiness. We reviewed the historical and continuing threats to the U. ⋯ S. Military capabilities for conducting meaningful surveillance and response. We concluded that a structured review of military public health and preventive medicine capabilities should be conducted to assess the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the capabilities necessary for infectious disease surveillance and response to future threats.
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The diversity of the cutaneous manifestations of syphilis and the ability of the spirochete to evade diagnosis have been well documented by medical literature. However, what triggers the onset of secondary syphilis is not yet clear because of difficulties studying the bacterium. ⋯ The potential etiologies of the patient's rash: A vaccine reaction, reactivation of chronic spontaneous urticaria, or a physical sign of syphilis itself are then reviewed. The potential for the Moderna coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine to be the catalyst of this patient's cutaneous manifestations of his immune system responses is also hypothesized.
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Creating health alliances to build meaningful networks is critical to combating regional and global burdens of disease. These alliances work by uniting support for elimination efforts through cooperative engagement at the national and international levels. The reduction in malaria-related morbidity and mortality in Africa since 2001 is in part because of investments of international organizations and governments in national level malaria control and prevention-related programs and research. Investment in malaria reduction networks has contributed to this success by strengthening support to overcome the conditions that restrict or prevent change through local laboratory and epidemiological capacity building, thereby resulting in a decrease in burden of disease, increase in economic prosperity, and improvements in stability worldwide.The reformation of local military efforts to combat disease through incorporation into health security alliance networks by the provision of training and financial support is key to reinforcing this success at the national level. One such example of this is the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) established and partner nation (PN) led Africa Malaria Task Force (AMTF) program. USAFRICOM's mission for AMTF as a health security alliance was to develop sustainable African-led malaria diagnostic, vector surveillance and control capabilities, and to increase collaborations among AMTF military PNs by enabling national and international-level network capacity. ⋯ Findings indicate that the AMTF program symposia positively encouraged malaria prevention and control efforts in all three countries included in the evaluation. Conclusions suggest that learning about the different types of malaria prevention and control efforts underway in other countries helped to contextualize the burden of malaria-related morbidity and mortality not only within their respective countries, but also across the African continent. Participation in the AMTF Symposia and Key Leader Events helped military leadership clarify the purpose and intention of their military objectives related to systemic malaria prevention and control while purposefully contributing to national land international-level malaria reduction capacity.
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As of early 2022, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic still represents a worldwide medical emergency situation. The ongoing vaccination programs can slow down the spread of the virus; however, from time to time, the newly emerging variants of concern and antivaccination movements carry the possibility for the disease to remain in our daily lives. After the appearance of SARS-CoV-2, there was scholarly debate whether the virus was of natural origin, or it emerged from a laboratory, some even thinking the agent's potential biological weapon properties suggest the latter scenario. Later, the bioweapon theory was dismissed by the majority of experts, but the question remains that despite its natural origin, how potent a biological weapon the SARS-CoV-2 virus can become over time. ⋯ Our results show that the virus can become a potent bioweapon candidate in the future, achieving a total score of 24 out of 36 on the original 12 criteria. The SARS-CoV-2 has already proven its pandemic generating potential and, despite worldwide efforts, still remains an imminent threat. In order to be prepared for the future possibility of the virus arising as a bioweapon, we must remain cautious and take the necessary countermeasures.