'Boot camp' flu back at Lackland[AFB San Antonio, Texas]

Express-News ^ | 05/03/2009 | Sig Christenson

[SwinneySwitch]

With spring in full bloom, “boot camp flu” is back with a vengeance.

A mysterious and virulent strain of the virus linked to last weekend's death of a Security Forces airman on Lackland AFB, it has sickened 237 recruits and technical school students at the base since Jan. 1. Only three of them landed in the base hospital, but all contracted adenovirus serotype 14.

Things have been worse at Lackland, which in the past two years has seen two airmen die after contracting adeno 14, as well as hundreds of flu-like cases that have put thousands out of training and into military sickbeds.

The base so far has been spared from swine flu. No cases have been reported, but more adeno trouble may be ahead during the first warm months of the year because adenoviruses thrive in heat and humidity.

“It's always a possibility,” Lackland spokesman Oscar Balladares said, when asked if more cases could be on the horizon. “But we continue to always take precautions as well.”

Airman 1st Class Keith Mylott, 19, of Enfield, Conn., died of pneumonia a week ago at Wilford Hall Medical Center. He fell ill April 13 and went to the hospital three days later, his nine-day struggle for survival mirroring a more prolonged battle lost in 2007 by Airman Paige Renee Villers.

Villers, 19, of Norton, Ohio, had entered boot camp in March of that year, graduated in a wheelchair that July after enduring a 36-day coma, and succumbed to pneumonia Aug. 7.

That spring and early summer, a viral outbreak rippled through boot camp, putting 468 recruits on bed rest from March 1 through mid-June. Some 14 adeno victims were hospitalized.

[SwinneySwitch]

"There are dozens of adenovirus strains but few vaccines, making it all but impossible to prevent outbreaks at Lackland or other installations."

[Doogle]

info link:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/eadfeat.htm

[Grumpybutt]

When we were there last year for our son’s graduation, there were hand sanitizers outside every door. But I guess in basic, all the recruits sharing one big room, it’s hard to control an outbreak.

[TSgt]

I was sick as a dog during basic but feared being washed back or worse so I trudged through...

I’ll never forget waking up in the middle of the night in terrible pain and walking to the latrine where I shined my flashlight in my mouth only to see blood running down the back of my throat.

I could not bring myself to push the call button for the TI in CQ so I went back to bed and suffered but graduated on time.

Lackland memories...

[vetvetdoug]

The USAF tried an experimental adenovirus vaccine on recruits back in January 1974 on 1000 troops. The virus vaccine caused mutations in lab animals that caused massive tumours and the USAF discontinued the program. I studied about the program in advanced Molecular Virology at U of Tennessee back in 1979...I was also one of the recruits that got the vaccine.

[ErnBatavia]

After USMC Boot Camp, I had a few weeks of Mess Duty awaiting the next slot for my MOS school....I ended up being "salad man" which consisted of rolling up my sleeves, throwing my arms into four foot by four foot bins of lettuce and tossing the ingredients.

I came down with German measles during that stretch, and got quarantined at the Camp Pendleton hospital for a few days.

...never did hear how many troopers I infected.

[SwinneySwitch]

Thanks for sharing that, Ern.

I'm totally off salads for now.

[Grumpybutt]

OMGosh.... poor you. How long ago was that?

[Scythian]

Sounds like there is something really bad about that place, this doesn’t sound right at all to me.

[Grumpybutt]

IDK - my son said they were on them constantly to keep their hands washed and poor personal hygiene was something they would all get in trouble for. My son who just graduated at Ft. Benning said the same thing. I suppose it’s so bad at Lackland because don’t all AF recruits train there? Or is there another base for AF basic? I can’t remember. Anyway, lots of people to keep up with.

[DvdMom]

ping

[ErnBatavia]

That was late December of 1966...had taken the Greyhound up to L.A. for Christmas but came down with a fever and rash, so bussed it back in the middle of the night, and got shoved into the ward to "celebrate", Marine Corps style......up in the morning, change your own sheets, get back into bed and be bored sh*tless.

I remember when I got to the hospital, a nurse and doc examined me....when it was determined that I had Rubella, the nurse screamed and ran down the long hall yelling about how she was pregnant.

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping (Thanks, DvdMom!)

[Jet Jaguar]

Lackland is the only Basic Training site for the Air Force.

[armymarinemom]

Seems to happen almost every year. Does anyone know what the bug going around Baghdad is? One of my sons is getting over it.

[BellStar]

Wilford Hall Medical Center sees all manor of illness from all over and I think something gets out every so often.

[jslade]

Sounds like there is something really bad about that place, this doesn’t sound right at all to me.

I was in OTS at Lackland in 1967 and got a flu shot. I was sick for 7 days. Last time I had the flu shot or the flu.

[AF_Blue]

What was your mutation? Something cool, like Dr. Xavier’s psychic abilities, or something boring, like Nightcrawler’s teleporting abilities?

[vetvetdoug]

The Adenovirus strain used caused tumours in laboratory animals...rats, mice, and hamsters. Ironically the hamsters developed the most aggressive tumours. I haven’t had any problems from the vaccine except that while in the USAF the women wouldn’t leave me alone. It was horrible. Almost every night I had to fend them off....unsuccessfully many times though.

[CholeraJoe]

Oddly enough, the same thing happened to me in the USAF, but I never took the vaccine.