Since the start of the year, there has not been any recorded tropical diseases infecting USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and Carrier Air Wing Two Sailors assisting Operation Unified Assistance in Aceh Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Lincoln’s medical department intends to keep it that way, for as long as Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ALCSG) supports humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in the wake of the tsunami disaster in Se Asia.

“Our plan is to take everyone back home without one single case of tropical disease,” said Cmdr. Jamin T. McMahon, Lincoln senior medical officer, of Gig Harbor, Wash. “The number one goal here in Medical is to protect our troops, as well as help others. We don’t put our people in harm’s way or on a operation such as this without protecting them the best we can.”

Concerned public health groups like World Health Organization have already pointed out what Lincoln’s medical personnel have seen for themselves in the tsunami devastated region of Sumatra. The wall of water that leveled so much of Aceh province and took so many lives has left sizable collections of standing salt water behind. Added to the mix have come the seasonal monsoon rains, which have mixed with the ocean water becoming brackish pools and prime mosquito-breeding areas.

“We are well aware of the potential threat the mosquitoes pose,” explained McMahon. “Sumatra is an area where malaria (infectious tropical disease marked by cycles of chills, fever and sweating) and dengue fever (infectious tropical disease marked by fever, rash, and severe joint pains) are common. We know malaria is ‘out there.’ There have been a handful of reported cases, but the number of cases has been typical. But we take the threat very seriously. We have a Preventative Medicine technician on the beach every day. That tech is the shepherd, watching over our flock. “

The Preventative Medicine implementation for combating any possible tropical disease began almost as soon as ALCSG received word to steam to the stricken area after a port call visit to Hong Kong. Every Sailor off Lincoln that has stepped ashore has had to go through a screening process by Medical Department, which included a healthy dose of education.

“And DEET, DEET, DEET,” emphasized McMahon, about the insect repellent lotion that has been issued to all hands going ashore. “We made sure we told people how to put it on, have reinforced the notion that when people are ashore working in the heat and humidity, that they need to reapply it. And people need to take their doxycycline tablets.”

The doxycycline tablets have been required to be started one to two days prior to entering country, and are required every day while there, and for 28 days after leaving the malaria transmission zone.

“So far, we’ve had no tropical disease cases,” McMahon said. “Another concern of ours is food-borne disease. Like we told people before they went ashore, they will never pick up any food-borne disease if they don’t drink from some unknown water source; never eat food they don’t know where it came from; and always wash their hands before they put any food or water product in their mouth. All food-borne disease is preventable.”

“What we’re doing is the same as going into port with a force protection plan,” continued McMahon. “We’re taking no chances. If everyone follows the rules laid down, we’ll go home healthy.”

Clean food and clean water equals a clean bill of heath. In the tsunami-stricken region of Aceh Province, Lincoln’s Medical Department continues to shepherd their flock using that philosophy, along with a generous application of DEET.