NewsMine — deceptions — plagues — marines-sick — Viewing Item

100 marines strep a { December 15 2002 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20021215-9999_1m15marines.html http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20021215-9999_1m15marines.html Nearly 100 Marine recruits hit by strep A By Brian Hazle UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER December 15, 2002 Nearly 100 Marines have been hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening form of streptococcus infections, a Navy spokesman said yesterday. Three of the Marines were in the intensive care unit last night and 61 others were quarantined in a ward at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego to prevent the illness from spreading. The Marines, stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, became sick Wednesday with streptococcus A, a bacterium commonly found in the throat and on the skin. It was unclear whether any officers were among the ill or if all of the sick were in the same unit. Ninety-six Marines have been treated since the outbreak, Navy spokesman Doug Sayers said. Last night Sayers said the cause of the outbreak was under investigation. "We are looking at it," Sayers said. "This kind of thing is pretty typical when you have people in close proximity 24 hours a day." Group A streptococcus, or group A strep, can cause anything from mild skin and throat irritations to life-threatening conditions, such as scarlet fever and pneumonia. In the most serious cases, strep A can lead to necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease that attacks deep layers of tissue. Sayers said infectious disease specialists would test nearly 5,000 recruits and staff members at the depot today and treat them with antibiotics. "What we are trying to do is dampen the spread," he said. Symptoms, usually visible within three days of exposure, depend upon the severity of the illness. Strep throat causes swollen lymph glands, severe sore throat, and fever while the skin infection causes red sores. Scarlet fever can cause all the symptoms of strep throat plus a red rashes on neck, chest and thighs. Sayers said it appears the outbreak is unrelated to the death Thursday of a Marine private who collapsed with chest pain after water survival training.

100 marines strep a { December 15 2002 } 5000 recruits stretp shots Marine dies after rash { December 15 2002 } Marine flesh eating virus { December 16 2002 } Marines curb training { December 16 2002 } Marines second dead { December 14 2002 } Files Listed: 6

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.