Since Zika virus entered the Western hemisphere as a locally transmitted mosquito borne infection, 17  confirmed and two probable cases in Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries have been reported, according to data from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB) through May 20.

Image/PEO Soldier
Image/PEO Soldier

The first confirmed Department of Defense (DoD) case had an illness onset in late January 2016. Of the 17 confirmed cases, 11 have been in service members; Army (6), Air Force and Coast Guard (4 each), Marine Corps (2) and Navy (1) , while the remaining six cases were in dependents and retirees.

All cases were linked to overseas travel–Colombia (4), Dominican Republic (3), Puerto Rico (3), Martinique (2) and Barbados, Brazil, Haiti, and the Philippines with one each. One case was not reported.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), as of June 2 there has been 363,990 suspected and 52,003 confirmed Zika cases reported in the Americas. In the US, the CDC reports 618 travel associated Zika cases through June 1. More than 1100 locally transmitted cases have been reported in US territories, with the bulk from Puerto Rico.

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