A Study on the Leptospirosis Outbreak Among US Marine Trainees in Okinawa, Japan

• Published in: Military medicine Vol. 183; no. 3-4; pp. e208 - e212
• Main Authors: Dierks, Joy, Servies, Tammy, Do, Tai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.03.2018
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Armed forces; Disease Outbreaks - classification; Disease Outbreaks - statistics & numerical data; Doxycycline - therapeutic use; Epidemics; Exercise Test - methods; Humans; Japan; Leptospirosis; Leptospirosis - classification; Leptospirosis - diagnosis; Leptospirosis - ethnology; Leptospirosis - prevention & control; Male; Military Personnel - statistics & numerical data; Military service; Military training; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis - methods; Preventive medicine; Surveillance; Training; United States - ethnology; United States; Japan; United States > US; Panama; Okinawa

The US Marines operate the Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC) in Northern Okinawa, where leptospirosis is endemic. The JWTC endurance course involves prolonged fresh and stagnant water exposures in a simulated jungle warfare environment. Since a leptospirosis outbreak in 1987, JWTC has required p...