ambient temperature.  Such tools would greatly

of the largest clinical trial (about 190,000 volunteers

facilitate global influenza surveillance.  Another

planned) ever done within the DoD.  This is a double 

example of leveraging is that the NHRC DoD GEIS

blind/placebo controlled clinical effectiveness trial of

laboratory has been able to take on, with supplementary

the 23 valent pneumococcal vaccine.  

funding and support from other sources, the conduct

Mortality Surveillance

Timely, comprehensive, and consolidated clinical and

resource and systematize the effort during FY 2001.

epidemiologic characterization of deaths in military

A MOA was signed with the AFIP highlighting the

personnel is a core public health function that did

functional characteristics of the system that will be

not exist before investments made by DoD GEIS.

managed by the Office of the Armed Forces Medical

Emerging infectious diseases, such as hantavirus

Examiner.  The AFIP identified a military authorization

pulmonary syndrome, new strains of influenza,

and a very capable Army active duty physician 

Legionnaires' disease, and rare cases of adenovirus

epidemiologist was assigned to fill the position of

infection in recruits, may present as rapidly progressive

mortality surveillance officer.  Mechanisms were

and unexplained fatal illnesses.  Prompt centralized

exercised to rapidly disseminate information about

recognition of these events is important to ensure a

suspicious deaths.  The development of syndrome 

proper and timely public health response.  While

based protocols for specimen collection and analysis

DoD GEIS has supported mortality surveillance for

are underway, along with expansion of the rapid alert

several years, significant advances were made to

mechanisms to capture Navy and Air Force deaths.

Surveillance and Response for 

Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Antibiotic Resistance 

Though often not thought of as dramatic causes of

the epidemiologic issues defined were the inconsistent

morbidity and mortality, both the acute and the

methods used by the services to conduct STD surveil 

insidious, chronic effects of sexually transmitted

lance and the fact that data on viral STDs and antibiotic

diseases can disrupt military readiness, lead to evacu 

resistance are not being captured.  On 2 October 2001

ations from the field for problems such as pelvic

DoD GEIS and the U.S. Medicine Institute for Health

inflammatory disease, and cause significant long term

Studies (USMI) sponsored for about 85 policy and

health care costs and suffering.  This year the

scientific experts an interactive forum on STDs at the

DoD GEIS Central Hub addressed STDs in the military

Sumner Museum in Washington, DC.  The meeting,

in several ways. DoD GEIS provided sustained epi 

entitled  STDs: Regaining Lost Ground & Preparing

demiologic expertise to help the DoD Sexually

for the Future,  was largely funded by industry and

Transmitted Diseases Prevention Committee (STDPC)

foundation sources.  Attendees were drawn from the

characterize the extent of the DoD problem.  Some of

military disease control community, academia,

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