title: Respiratory tract infections in the military environment.
abstract: Military personnel fighting in contemporary battlefields as well as those participating in combat training are at risk of contracting respiratory infections. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that soldiers deployed to the harsh environment have higher rates of newly reported respiratory symptoms than non-deployers. Acute respiratory diseases are the principle reason for outpatient treatment and hospitalization among military personnel, with an incidence exceeding that of the adult civilian population by up to three-fold. Adenoviruses, influenza A and B viruses, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, coronaviruses and rhinoviruses have been identified as the main causes of acute respiratory infections among the military population. Although infective pathogens have been extensively studied, a significant proportion of illnesses (over 40%) have been due to unknown causative agents. Other health hazards, which can lead to respiratory illnesses among troops, are extreme air temperatures, desert dust, emissions from burn pits, industrial pollutants, and airborne contaminants originating from degraded soil. Limited diagnostic capabilities, especially inside the area of operations, make it difficult to accurately estimate the exact number of respiratory diseases in the military environment. The aim of the study was to discuss the occurrence of respiratory tract infections in army personnel, existing risk factors and preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Military Institute of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland. Electronic address: kktropmed@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Korzeniewski
authors.affiliation: Warsaw Medical University, Department of Family Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nitsch-Osuch
authors.affiliation: Military Institute of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konior
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Gdańsk, Department of Tropical Parasitology, Gdynia, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lass
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D000067453:War Exposure
keywords: Military environment; Respiratory tract infections; Soldiers