Public Health Defends Dover Airmen Abroad

  • Published
  • By A1C Dylan Bickers
  • 436 AMDS

The world is a dangerous place, especially from a Public Health standpoint.  Zika, Measles, Tuberculosis, Avian Flu; a veritable cornucopia of communicable diseases wait around every corner of the world.  How can the average traveler be expected to know everything about every disease they might encounter on their adventures?  The simple answer is, they can’t.  This is precisely why you should visit the Travelers’ Health section at the Medical Group before you set off on your journeys.

The Travelers’ Health section serves all members of Team Dover, both Active Duty and civilian.  All Active Duty members planning trips out of the country must make an appointment with this section.  While appointments are not mandatory for civilian and dependents, they are strongly encouraged.  Traveler’s Health provides a briefing on what potential threats they may encounter during their travels including safeguards against aforementioned communicable diseases, warnings about food safety and sanitation, and advisement regarding local flora and fauna that is best avoided.  They may also recommend certain vaccines to protect against diseases travelers are more likely to encounter overseas.

One of our most important considerations for travelers is the risk of pregnant women contracting the Zika Virus.  If you’ve been following the headlines in recent months, you are bound to have come across reports regarding the Zika Virus, or ZIK-V, accompanied by alarming images of infants born with underdeveloped heads.

While the information surrounding this virus is continuously changing, here is what we know for certain: Zika is most commonly spread through the bite of an infected, Aedes Aegypti or Aedes Albopictus, mosquito.  They bite most aggressively during daylight hours, but also can bite at nighttime.  The virus shows almost no symptoms in the majority of infected persons, but Zika has been known to cause catastrophic damage to developing children in the form of microcephaly — the underdevelopment of a fetus’ head.

This is where the real concern comes in for pregnant women travelling to countries where Zika is prevalent.  Currently there is no vaccine to prevent contraction of this disease, and although highly recommended, physical protections (DEET, picaridin, permethrin ”insect repellent” etc.) are not 100% effective against the vectors that carry Zika, so we tend to advise pregnant women from travelling to countries where the virus is common.

If you are planning a trip abroad, stop by the Traveler’s Health section in the Public Health office Monday – Friday between 0730 and 1630.  We will be more than happy to share our knowledge with you.  If you would like more information regarding Travelers’ Health, please visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/travel, or contact the Dover AFB Public Health office at (302) 677-2564