American forces in Iraq and Afghani- stan, where sand fl ies and other pests spread leishmaniasis, a potentially disfi guring infection commonly re- ferred to among servicemembers as the “Baghdad boil.”

Many servicemembers have caught leishmaniasis while deployed to the Middle East.

Sand fl y bites develop into welts (above). Leishmaniasis is caused by a parasite present in some sand fl ies. It can aff ect the skin or internal organs.

Coast Guard personnel sleep on raised cots to avoid cockroaches at the Mina al Bakr oil terminal off the coast of Iraq.

The No. 1 disease transmitted by insects aff ecting military personnel is Lyme disease. The best defense is insect repellent.

Once an adult, a tick’s primary purpose is to reproduce. Hosts are essential.

female will die after laying from 2,000 to 18,000 eggs.

A fully engorged

Unit designations Navy entomologists have served in several special units over the years, including the Malariology and Pest Control Unit, which originated at Naval Air Station Banana River, Fla. It later was relocated to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, where in 1952 it was renamed the Preven- tive Medicine Unit No. 1 (PMU-1). PMU-1 became the Disease Vector Control Center (DVCC) in 1957 and was joined by DVCC-Alameda. Both units were renamed Navy Disease Vector Ecology and Control Centers (DVECC) in 1971. In 2005, all responsibility for pro- viding insect protection and control worldwide fell to DVECC Jackson- ville, which became the NECE the following year. “We’re a very unique asset, not only to the Navy but to the DoD in general,” says Navy Capt. Eric Hoff man, offi cer in charge. “Our work is important because it protects the health of our customer, which is the deployed warfi ghter. Our great- est satisfaction is to see these indi- viduals come home and meet their families healthy. That’s what we’re geared for.” Insects aff ect our fi ghting forces

Ticks gorge themselves on hosts that include birds, small mammals, cats, dogs, and humans.

After a few weeks, the larva molts into an eight-legged nymph, finding shelter in thick grassy areas.

Life Cycle of a Tick

Once eggs hatch, ticks emerge as six- legged larvae and begin feeding on their first host.

in a variety of ways, notes Knapp. Indigenous disease-spreading insects often pose a threat to ser- vicemembers deployed to combat sites, but even common bugs can be a nuisance. For example, German cockroaches often infest Navy ships, and bedbugs can be an issue in com- mon barracks. But the No. 1 disease transmitted by insects aff ecting mil- itary personnel is Lyme disease, says Knapp. Typically, the tick-borne ail-

MANAGEMENT BOARD; SGT. ROME LAZARUS, USMC; PETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS THOMAS SPERDUTO, USCG; SHUTTERSTOCK; COLIN HAYES

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