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| CPT T Photo of 173d Airborne Medics during Village Medical Operation in Logar, Afghanistan 2010 |
This post is a little off the beaten path for FaST Surgeon... but since we now have the awesome "CRNA In The 'Stan" to keep us posted on the most current happenings of the 909th, we can rest easy and do a little teaching today.
Apparently it turns out that there is an outbreak of a disease called Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Herat, Afghanistan as reported by The Hindu:
"Cutaneous leishmanisis is a parasitic disease transmitted by the female phlebotomine sand fly, an insect only 2-3 millimeters long that requires the blood of humans or animals so its eggs can develop. Treatable with medication and not life-threatening, cutaneous leishmanisis can leave severe scars on the bodies of victims."
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| CPT T Photo during Village Medical Operation in Logar Province, Afghanistan |
"The disease threatens 13 million people in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization said, and many impoverished Afghan victims can’t afford the medication to treat it.
In Kabul, described by the WHO as “the world capital of cutaneous leishmaniasis, the number of cases jumped from an estimated 17,000 a year in the early 2000s to 65,000 in 2009, WHO said. "
... Read More |
| Cutaneous Leishmaniasis |
If you're around Afghanistan long enough, you will most certainly see this disease. Although I never saw it on our military personnel, there are reports of soldiers having been afflicted by the disease in the Persian Gulf. CPT T took the photo above of an Afghan woman during a village medical operation. I also saw other locals with this during my time down in Orgune. Fortunately, this is a treatable infection with antimicrobials. But, getting the antimicrobials to the people is the hard part.
