CDC Helps U.S. Military Probe Pneumonia Cases

Reuters ^ | 08-23-03

[Brian S]

Fri August 22, 2003 11:18 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An expert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is helping the U.S. military investigate a spate of pneumonia cases in which two soldiers have died, the Department of Defense said on Friday.

There is no evidence the cases are related or have spread from person to person and SARS has been ruled out, the defense department said in a statement. There is also no evidence of toxins or a biological weapon.

Of the 100 cases in the region so far, 19 have caused special concern because they are serious.

"These cases do not represent an epidemic, and it is not being spread through person-to-person contact. We are making significant progress in eliminating a number of possible causes, such as SARS and vaccines," said Dr. William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

Defense and health officials say the rate of pneumonia is not unexpectedly high. Pneumonia can be caused by several different viruses, bacteria or even inhaling dust or water.

"The concern, however, is about the smaller number of service members, now identified as 19 cases, who developed severe pneumonia. Two service members have died from the disease, the first in Iraq on June 17 and the second in Germany on July 12," the defense department said.

One clue is being pursued, said Col. Bruno Petruccelli, of the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine.

"There is evidence that 10 of the cases have shown a higher than usual number of blood cells of one specific type called eosinophils. An increase in this type of white blood cell can occur in a variety of medical conditions -- for example, infections, asthma, hay fever and allergies," he said.

"Medical personnel are trying to determine why some of the 19 patients with severe pneumonia showed an increase in these cells."

Experts say about half of all serious respiratory infections are never diagnosed. However, doctors are trying harder after this year's epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a disease never seen before that arose in China and killed 800 people around the world before it was controlled.