The document summarizes the history of military entomology in the U.S. Army. It discusses how diseases transmitted by insects like malaria and typhus regularly halted military conflicts by infecting large numbers of troops living in unsanitary conditions with inadequate shelter and resources. The identification of insects as disease vectors by Walter Reed and subsequent control efforts led by William Gorgas established entomology as important to military health. During World Wars I and II, entomologists served to research, advise on, and implement control programs to reduce insect-borne diseases among troops. Today, Army entomologists continue preventing such diseases among soldiers through various roles in public health, research, teaching and staff positions around the world.

1. Medical Entomology in the U.S.
Army: A Historical Perspective

2. Military Entomology History
• Armies in the field often lived in squalor
with inadequate shelter, food, and water.
• Many conflicts were brought to a halt not
by superior force but by insects and the
diseases they transmit.
• Typhoid fever, louse borne typhus,
malaria, yellow fever, and diarrheal
disease ran rampant degrading an armies
ability to fight.

3. Cause of War Deaths
War Number Serving in Battle Injuries (BI) Disease Non Arthropod Borne
Army Battle Injuries Diseases
(DNBI)
Civil War (Union) 2,128,948 138,154 221,374 Yellow fever,
typhoid, malaria
Spanish American 280,564 369 2,061 Typhoid, malaria
War
World War I 4,057,101 50,510 55,868 Trench fever,
malaria, louse
borne typhus
World War II 11,260,000 234,874 83,400 Malaria, scrub
typhus
Vietnam 4,368,000 30,922 7,273 Malaria
Desert Shield 246,682 98 105 Leishmaniasis

4. Military Entomology History
• Military medical entomology got its start when
MAJ Walter Reed showed that yellow fever was
transmitted by mosquitoes.
• With the identification of insects as the cause of
disease the need to find ways to mitigate their
impact became a military issue.
• Major William Gorgas was the first to
successfully control mosquitoes with his efforts
in Havana and the Panama Canal.

5. Military Entomology
World War I
• By World War I, the connection between insects
and disease was well established.
• Entomologists (6-8) were commissioned as
officers in the Sanitary Corps.
• Over 9,600 cases of malaria occurred in troops
training in the southern U.S.
• Trench fever and louse-borne typhus were the
primary arthropod-borne diseases in Europe as
troops were often infested with lice.

6. Army Entomology Between the
World Wars
• Sanitary Corps moved to the Organized
Reserves from Active Duty.
• 14 entomologist were commissioned in the
Sanitary Corps.
• The War Department recognized the need for
malaria control and began efforts to develop
improved control methods and a true malaria
prophylactic.
• Extensive mosquito control programs were
initiated in the camps located in the southern
U.S. to prevent malaria outbreaks in training
soldiers.

7. Army Entomology in World War II
• The prevention and control of malaria in the Southern
U.S. and in possible overseas areas was one of the
problems facing the military at the beginning of WWII.
• The Army recognized the importance of controlling
vector-borne disease and began commissioning
entomologists, with many more serving as enlisted
soldiers.
• Army entomologists staffed malaria control and survey
units in the Pacific theater; served as advisors in all
theaters; and conducted research to develop better
methods of control and prevention of arthropod-borne
disease.

8. Arthropod Disease Incidence and
Death Rate 1942-45
Disease Incidence (number) Deaths (number) Fatality Rate/100,000 cases
Malaria 378,000 302 0.8
Dengue 91,000 4 0.0
Sand fly fever 19,000 0 0.0
Scrub typhus 5,400 283 52.4
Filariasis 2,500 1 0.4
Murine typhus 800 15 18.8
Lesihmaniasis 500 0 0.0
Encephalitis 400 21 52.5
Tularemia 200 4 20.0
Relapsing fever 170 0 0.0
Rock Mountain spotted 130 12 92.3
Fever
Epidemic typhus 100 0 0.0

9. Post WWII
• The Army continues to commission
entomologists with around 60 serving on
Active Duty and around 35 in the
Reserves.
• Entomologist serve in many capacities
and have many unique opportunities.

10. Army Entomology Today
• Mission: To prevent arthropod-borne disease in
Soldiers, their families, and other individuals for
whom the Army is responsible.
• Plan, direct, and evaluate comprehensive
integrated pest control programs.
• Conduct surveillance for medically important
pests.
• Identify insects and other zoological specimens.
• Provide disease vector risk assessments for
geographical areas.

11. Recent Disease and non-Battle
Injuries Rates (DNBI)
• 1991 Gulf War 6.5 %
• OJE (Bosnia) 7.1%
• OJG (Kosovo) 8.1%
• OEF (Afghanistan) 5%
• OIF (Iraq) 4%
Reduction in DNBI rate is a true force multiplier.
Leads to less demand for healthcare and lower
requirement for replacements!

12. Preventive Medicine Detachments
• Provide support across the entire public health
spectrum to service members during field
operations.
• Units composed of 13 soldiers who support a
large area.
• Entomologist can serve as the Executive Officer
(XO) or Commander.
• Lieutenant and Captains serve as XO’s
• Senior Captains and Majors are Commanders

14. Center for Health Promotion and
Public Health (CHPPM)
• CHPPM provides health promotion and public
health leadership and services in support of the
Military.
• Entomologists are located at all 6 CHPPM
locations worldwide.
• Junior entomologists gain valuable experience in
a variety of entomology areas and provide
support services to requesting customers.
• Senior entomologist provide experience and
expertise to customers while mentoring the
junior entomologists.

16. Entomology Teaching
• Entomologists serve as instructors at the
AMEDDC&S where they help train preventive
medicine technicians, pest control personnel,
and incoming AMEDD officers.
• Entomologists maybe assigned to the
AMEDDC&S after obtaining experience as an
Army entomologist.
• Entomologists serve as Assistant Professors at
the Uniformed Services University of Health
Sciences where they teach classes to a variety
of programs that train future military health care
providers.

18. Research
• There are opportunities for Army
entomologist to conduct research to
protect the war fighter from arthropod
borne-disease threats.

20. Staff Positions
• Senior Entomologists (MAJ, LTC, COL)
serve on a variety of staffs to provide the
Commands with recommendations on
arthropod-borne disease threats, personal
protective measures, pesticide usage, and
a variety of other issues.

22. Unique Opportunities
• Army entomology is by no means a narrow specialty.
You will be challenged by unique situations:
– Providing entomological support during disaster relief efforts in
both the United States and foreign countries.
– Providing technical assistance for civil affairs agricultural
projects in nation building efforts.
– Assisting in developing vector surveillance and pest control
programs in developing nations.
– Assisting in an arthropod-borne disease outbreak investigation.
• You will be afforded many opportunities expand
personally and professionally as you meet new
challenges.

24. Questions?