Cases of heat-related illnesses on the rise, especially among Marines

Young Marines and soldiers based in the southeastern U.S. are most at risk for heat-related illnesses, military medical officials found after tracking a steady increase in diagnoses among the services over the past five years.

In 2018, there were 578 diagnoses of heatstroke and 2,214 diagnoses of heat exhaustion among active duty servicemembers, according to the Defense Health Agency’s April surveillance report.

Annual rates for both illnesses have risen significantly since 2014, said the report, which tracked the incidence of such illnesses across hundreds of locations worldwide. Study authors called on military officials to do more to raise awareness of the injury risk.

“Commanders, small unit leaders, training cadre, and supporting medical personnel — particularly at recruit training centers and installations with large combat troop populations — must ensure that the military members whom they supervise and support are informed regarding the risks,” the report said.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/1.578922