Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) scientists wrapped up presenting their innovative work to protect the health of the warfighter through pioneering medical research solutions at the 2018 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Annual Meeting Nov. 1.

During the meeting, held in New Orleans, the researchers were joined by their colleagues from across the Navy Medicine Research and Development Enterprise, some travelling from as far away as Ghana, Peru, and Singapore.

During a breakout session, Dr. Chad Porter, head of NMRC’s Clinical Studies and Epidemiology, Enteric Diseases Department, discussed the history and impact of Shigella, a bacteria that causes the infectious disease Shigellosis.

“For deployed U.S. troops, Shigella can be a significant cause of acute morbidity and has the potential for long-term adverse health consequences,” said Porter. “The Shigella CHIM will be pivotal in future vaccine development prioritization decisions.”

Enterprise scientists also presented their work on eradicating the threat of malaria, Zika virus, dengue, rickettsia, scrub typhus, and more, and discussed how to better protect the health of our warfighters deployed to pervasive areas of the world.

According to Capt. Adam Armstrong, NMRC’s Commander, infectious diseases have in some cases caused more sickness and casualties to our troops than enemy fire. The impact can severely hamper the effectiveness of our troops and adversely affect the course of operations.

“Infectious diseases affect our warfighter’s ability to effectively operate across the globe,” Armstrong said. “NMRC and its laboratories are entrusted to deliver high-value, high-impact research products and knowledge to support and protect today's deployed warfighters, and are focused on the readiness and well-being of future forces.”

As the largest scientific organization of experts dedicated to reducing the burden of infectious disease, the ASTMH Annual Meeting draws more than 4,000 attendees from around the world and provides an opportunity for tropical medicine and global health professionals, military personnel, researchers, industry leaders, and academics to exchange scientific knowledge and information.

About Naval Medical Research Center

NMRC's eight laboratories are engaged in a broad spectrum of activity from basic science in the laboratory to field studies at sites in austere and remote areas of the world to operational environments. In support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, simulation and operational mission support, and epidemiology and behavioral sciences.

To learn more about NMRC, visit http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmrc.
 

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