Lt. Thomas McGlynn, a medical entomologist with the Navy Entomology Center of Excellence (NECE), Jacksonville Florida, traveled to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB) in support of Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay Preventive Medicine, Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO) and Army Public Health Command, East (APHC-E) to provide mission critical entomological training and to search for the presence of Ae. vittatus, a newly introduced mosquito species.

NSGB is the forward, ready, U.S. Sea power platform in the Caribbean and preserves America’s strategic influence by maintaining a deep-water naval station, ensuring effective support across military and interagency operations.

In 2019, APHC-E discovered the presence of Ae. vittatus, a potential carrier of Yellow Fever, Zika virus and Dengue Fever in NSGB. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, personnel were delayed in returning to study how Ae. vittatus was expanding across the base until this year.



The joint entomological team employed what is known as systematic ovicup surveillance, a form of surveillance where a container of water is used to collect eggs from mosquitoes. Adult mosquito surveillance was conducted using Biogents (BG)-Sentinel traps across the installation.

During this mission, Army Sgt. Bishop Calderon of JTF-GTMO successfully identified the first instance of Ae. vittatus in the eastern portion of the base, and surveillance identified two more locations where Ae. vittatus were multiplying.

Because Ae. vittatus is a newly introduced disease-causing insect on the installation further study will be necessary to assess the potential risk to service members stationed in there. To reduce risk, McGlynn and the joint team conducted entomological training to the preventive medicine teams for both Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay and JTF-GTMO. The focus of the training was to increase the team’s ability to capture, identify, and prevent mosquitoes from coming into contact with personnel on the installation.



“The teams and personnel that are stationed at NSGB are excellent and working with them during this mission was a joy,” said McGlynn. “Preventive medicine is a force multiplier, and I am happy that NECE contributes to the critical mission of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.”

NECE is the Navy and Marine Corps’ Center of Excellence for operational entomology located at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. NECE’s unique DoD mission is to develop and evaluate novel products, pesticides, and technologies to better protect deployed forces from vectors of disease. NECE also provides operational medical entomology and pest management training to DOD military and civilian personnel and is the program manager for all Navy shipboard pest management. NECE plays a key role in supporting national strategic interests though engagement and exchange with foreign health and military partners.

https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Marine-Corps-Public-Health-Center/Field-Activities/Navy-Entomology-Center-of-Excellence/