Fort Hood's preventive medicine Soldiers are working collectively with Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center (CRDAMC) officials to prevent West Nile virus cases on the installation, one bug at a time.
West Nile is a virus most commonly spread by infected mosquitoes. The virus can cause febrile illness, inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, which is inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each year for the past two years, from April through September, Soldiers assigned to the 224th Preventive Medical Detachment (224th Prev. Med. Det.), 61st Multi-functional Medical Battalion, and 1st Medical Brigade, head out into Fort Hood Family Housing to set traps to test mosquitoes for West Nile.
Mosquito traps are set in housing areas that have been deemed ideal areas for a mosquito population. Traps and their contents are retrieved the following morning and taken to the 224th's mobile entomology lab, the only operational one of its kind in the Army.
Although CRDAMC started surveillance of West Nile in 2005, capturing and testing really heated up last year, said Capt. Amanda Gonzalez, medical entomologist, CRDAMC. According to Gonzalez, Fort Hood had two or three diagnosed cases of West Nile virus in 2012.
This year more than 4,000 mosquitoes have been collected and no West Nile has been found so far, but the risk remains.
"Last year, the focus was in the housing areas," she said. "With all of the construction going on, a lot of places (of focus) have moved."
The concentration for the testing remains in housing even though exact locations change when conditions evolve. Other gathering efforts for the virus on the eastern side of the installation are conducted by 3rd Cavalry Regiment Soldiers.
"Locations are random and based on standing water and complaints from residents," said Gonzalez. Standing water creates the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes that can carry dangerous diseases such as West Nile virus.
West Nile virus is most dangerous for the elderly, the very young, and those with a compromised immune system. For most of the population, the virus manifests as flu-like symptoms with mild headaches, Gonzalez added.
"The average Soldier has probably had it and didn't even know it," she said.
At the lab, which is located in the unit's motor pool, the traps are frozen to knock down the mosquitoes and other insects. "Testing centers mostly on the females because they are the only mosquitoes that suck blood," said Capt. Juree Johnson, entomologist and executive officer, 224th Prev. Med. Det.
After freezing, each trap is emptied individually and first insects other than mosquitoes are removed, then male and female mosquitoes are sorted by sex. Males are distinguished by their plumed "mustaches."
Specimen are placed in vials by sex and location of capture and delivered to Gonzalez. She then ships the mosquitoes to Public Health Command in San Antonio for testing. Gonzalez receives the test results back and shares them with Fort Hood and posts the threat level on CRDAMC's website.
"We've been at level 2 (low)," Gonzalez said, noting that 25 mosquitoes considered West Nile capable have been captured.
West Nile virus was first detected in North America in 1999, and has since spread across the continental U.S. and Canada. For those concerned about the virus, there are steps residents can take to help prevent West Nile.
Eliminating standing water from pools, toys, tires and other objects lying around helps by removing opportunities for infected females to lay their eggs since water is needed for the larva, Gonzalez said. "That's the No. 1 way. Without water, they have nowhere to lay their eggs."
If an outbreak were to occur, Soldiers from the 224th have a plan and the equipment to eliminate the threat.
"We have truck-mounted, backpack and hand can sprayers," said Johnson.
But, the entomologists stressed, they do not want to use chemicals haphazardly.
"Last year, the focus was on prevention through habitat modification and control," said Gonzalez.
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