Tuberculosis in a Swiss army training camp: contact investigation using an Interferon gamma release assay

BACKGROUND: In tuberculosis (TB), the risk of exposure is determined mainly by the proximity to and the hours of direct contact with an infectious patient. We describe the contact investigation after detection of an infectious form of TB in a military camp using an Interferon-g-Release-Assay (IGRA, QuantiFERON-TB Gold In Tube [QTF-GIT]) eight weeks after detection of the index case. INDEX PATIENT: The index patient presented with fever, cough and weight loss in the military hospital six weeks after entering the camp. TB was suspected and anti-tuberculous therapy given immediately. Subsequently, TB was microbiologically confirmed. METHODS: Four exposure groups were formed a priori based on the proximity and the hours of direct contact to the index case. 168 (95.5%) agreed to be investigated: - Group A: sharing the same dormitory (15 persons) - Group B: same platoon, but not sharing the dormitory (20 persons) - Group C: staff and patients of the military hospital (22 persons) - Group D: other three platoons and senior military staff (111 persons). RESULTS: 34 (20.2%) out of 168 contacts tested positive in the QFT-GIT assay. For the exposure groups, the respective QFT-GIT testing results were: group A, 14/15 (93%); group B, 4/20 (20%); group C, 5/22 (22.7%); and group D, 11/111 (9.9%). No secondary TB cases were identified. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, test results show a correlation with the risk of exposure, suggesting that IGRA may be useful for the assessment of TB infection in TB contacts. The high mobility of recruits reduced traceability of contacts. In this context, QFT-GIT allowed for an efficient screening of contacts at a single time point.

TRADOC, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command : preparing for the future /

Mode of access: Internet.

United States army training manual.

Mode of access: Internet.

U.S. Army Training Manual

Mode of access: Internet.

Swiss Army Survey in Switzerland to determine the prevalence of Francisella tularensis, members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks

A total of 6071 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected on Swiss Army training grounds in five regions of Switzerland. The aim of the survey was to assess the prevalence of ticks infected with the human pathogens Francisella tularensis, members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. TaqMan PCR (PE Biosystems, USA) and TaqMan RT-PCR (PE Biosystems) analyses were performed on DNA and RNA extracted from pools of ten ticks grouped by gender. Here, for the first time, it is shown that ticks may harbor Francisella tularensis in Switzerland, at a rate of 0.12%. Furthermore, 26.54% of the ticks investigated harbored Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 1.18% harbored members of the Ehrlichia phagocytophila genogroup, and 0.32% harbored the European tick-borne encephalitis virus. A new instrumentation was applied in this study to carry out and analyze more than 2300 PCR reactions in only 5 days. Furthermore, the results reveal that people working in outdoor areas, including army personnel on certain training grounds contaminated with ticks containing tick-borne pathogens, are at risk for different tick-borne diseases.

The origins and development of the National Training Center, 1976-1984 /

Mode of access: Internet.

King of battle : a branch history of the U.S. Army's field artillery /

Mode of access: Internet.

Tuesday, we built the mess hall.

SATC troops build a temporary mess hall near Michigan Union, 1918

SATC, Telephone Electricians course, pole-climbing class

[From photo album: Photograph LA64 shows a class in pole-climbing in the course for Telephone Electricians with some of their instructors.]

Telephone Electricians - The Cable Room

Student Army Training Corps - World War I - Photograph LA 50

Telephone Electricians - Pole Climbing

Student Army Training Corps - World War I - Photograph LA 64 - shows class in pole-climbing int he course for Telephone Elecetricians, with some of their instructors

Telephone Electricians - Visual Signaling

Student Army Training Corps - World War I - Photograph LA XXXII - The Usual Manner of Conducting a Class in Visual Signaling

Gaby Smart, co-founder of Esquire, with David Smart and others in group.

Student Army Training Corps - World War I - Photograph LA XXXII - The Usual Manner of Conducting a Class in Visual Signaling

Gaby Smart, co-founder of Esquire, with David Smart.

Student Army Training Corps - World War I - Photograph LA XXXII - The Usual Manner of Conducting a Class in Visual Signaling