via CNN.
A US warship has essentially been quarantined at sea for over two months and has been unable to make a port call due to an outbreak of a viral infection similar to mumps.Story here.
Twenty-five sailors and Marines aboard the USS Fort McHenry amphibious warship have been diagnosed with parotitis, which causes symptoms similar to mumps, according to US military officials.
Until CNN asked about the incident, the US military had not disclosed it. The illness first broke out in December, with the most recent case being reported on March 9.
"None of the cases are life-threatening and all have either already made or are expected to make a full recovery," the Fifth Fleet said in a statement provided to CNN.
A couple of things. First I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. The US military and especially its Naval Services go ALL AROUND THE WORLD, meet new and interesting people...interacts and that makes them vulnerable to all kinds of wild and wooly infections/diseases. All are inoculated but viruses mutate so even that is far from full proof.
Second I haven't blogged about it but we've seen an outbreak of measles in the US in several states. I'll be the bastard and put it out there. I thought it had to do with our current immigration system of catch and release along with our opening ourselves up to international travel with LITTLE oversight of possibly contagious passengers traveling to the US.
A new pandemic has been predicted since the 80's and while it hasn't happened I would bet that its big on someone's radar screen.
What makes this a military issue is the above and the fact that the US has service members in so many places, they travel to more on liberty and then they make it home.
Unfortunately (and I admit its absolute worse case scenario) it could very well be one of our warriors that brings something nasty back home.
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