Febrile and Vector-borne Infections Focus Area

Febrile and Vector-borne Infections Surveillance Activities

The Febrile and Vector-borne Infections Focus Area supports FVBI surveillance activities in three target categories: arthropod vectors, malaria countermeasure effectiveness, and acute febrile illness.

Pathogens of interest include:

• Alphaviruses (such as chikungunya, Ross River, Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses)
• Bacterial pathogens (such as Borrelia, Leishmania, Leptospira, and Rickettsia species)
• Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
• Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
• Flaviviruses (such as dengue and Zika viruses)
• Hantaviruses
• Lassa virus
• Plasmodium species (malaria)
• Rift Valley fever virus
• Scrub typhus
• Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus
• Tick-borne encephalitis virus

The FVBI Focus Area END STATE is surveillance coverage of known FVBI operational threats and the ability to rapidly adjust surveillance toward newly identified threats or priorities. This End State will be achieved through an integrated and coordinated GEIS-N that informs FHP posture across the GCCs, provides awareness and understanding of emerging diseases and countermeasure effectiveness, enhances detection and diagnosis of FVBI pathogens, and, ultimately, protects the health and readiness of the Joint Force.

Importance of FVBI Surveillance within the U.S. Military

Vector-borne and febrile zoonotic pathogens historically have had a significant impact on U.S. military operations and likely will increase in operational importance as the U.S. military postures for global “great power competition.”

The threat of vector-borne and zoonotic pathogens is increased by the limited diagnostic and treatment options available to providers in the austere and degraded environments typical of military operations. Vector-borne and zoonotic pathogens are often associated with undifferentiated febrile illness and thus are difficult to distinguish clinically, which adds urgency to overcoming challenges in diagnosis and control. Timely and accurate surveillance can help inform solutions to these diagnosis and control challenges.

FVBI Focus Area Surveillance Categories

• Surveillance of arthropod-borne pathogens, vectors, and reservoir hosts of FHP-relevant infections
  • Surveillance of insecticide resistance in mosquito and tick species
• Surveillance of malaria countermeasure effectiveness
  • Surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein (pfhrp2/3) gene deletions
  • Surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance
• Surveillance of pathogens associated with undifferentiated acute febrile illness risk to U.S. service members

Key Reach Back Partners & Support

See what GEIS is doing to combat respiratory infections and antimicrobial resistant infections.

If you are involved with the Department of Defense medical community and are interested in partnering with GEIS, or if you would like more information, please contact us.