Marines Inoculate 5,000 Against Strep-A Spread

On the day that 5,000 Marine recruits were being inoculated to stop the spread of a potentially lethal bacteria, an 18-year-old recruit died Sunday just hours after seeking medical attention for an ankle rash. By the time Pvt. Miguel Zavala of Greenfield, Calif., died at the Naval Regional Medical Center in Balboa Park, the rash had covered much of his body, officials said.

Infectious disease experts at the medical center do not believe Zavala’s death is linked to the current outbreak of Group A streptococcal bacteria, medical center spokesman Doug Sayers said.

Sayers said officials will have a better idea of the cause of death after an autopsy, planned today.

Although streptococcal bacteria is most commonly reflected in a sore throat and general aches, it can, in its most extreme form, cause necrotizing fasciitis -- so-called flesh-eating bacteria -- or streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.

Those conditions are fatal in about 20% of patients, according to statistics gathered by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One sign of the onset of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is a flat red rash over large parts of the body.

The 5,000 recruits at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot -- one of two recruit training centers for the Marine Corps -- were given inoculations of antibiotics in response to an outbreak of Strep-A bacteria last week. More than 60 recruits are still hospitalized.

“This can be the source of fatal pneumonia,” said Navy Capt. J.D. Malone, director of medical services at the center. “That’s why we’re being so aggressive.”

Zavala’s death was the third at the recruit depot in recent weeks.

The other two fatalities came after strenuous training exercises and are not thought to be linked to the Strep-A outbreak, officials said.

Recruits, young men from the Western half of the United States, are given penicillin shots twice during training. The mass inoculation Sunday was the first in 11 years, since the last large outbreak of Strep A, a bacteria found to flourish among school children and college students in close living quarters.

“You’re going to get a shot in your left butt cheek, all right?” asked Navy corpsman Maricar Vergara.

“Yes, ma’am,” came the shouted reply from two dozen wide-eyed recruits.

Cleanliness Stressed

Drill instructors stress the need for cleanliness. Indeed, recruits are taught to wash before they are taught to fight. But problems persist.

“Recruits come in from all over the country and they bring infections from all over the country,” Malone said.

Malone and Maj. Gen. Jan Huly, commanding officer of the depot, were to address Zavala’s death, the Strep-A outbreak and the other two training deaths at a news conference today.

Pvt. Neal Edwards, 18, of St. Clair, Mo., died Nov. 24 after collapsing during training on an obstacle course. He played high school football, was reportedly in top-notch health and hoped to become a combat engineer.

Pvt. Samuel J. Bruss, 19, of Kenosha, Wis., died Thursday after survival training at the base swimming pool, where recruits were taught to swim while dressed in full combat gear.

Bruss was an avid outdoorsman and strong swimmer, according to his family. He has an older brother in the Marines serving in the Persian Gulf area.

With 20,000 recruits a year completing basic training at the depot adjacent to Lindbergh Field, there have been seven deaths since 1995, including one suicide, two fatalities after the 1.5-mile run, and one after the obstacle course.

Before the development of antibiotics, Strep A was a scourge of military training camps, leading to large-scale casualties in World Wars I and II.

To stop the spread of the bacteria, all recruits were marched to the base medical facilities where doctors, nurses and corpsmen administered throat swabs, examinations and the inoculations. Recruits with potential allergic reactions were screened for alternative treatment.

“It stings, sir,” said Thomas Bonwell, 21 of Dublin, Ind., as he rubbed his left buttock.

Drill instructors, civilian food-handlers and others with close contact with the recruits were also given the inoculations.

Some recruits devised ways to reduce the discomfort. “I’m just not going to look when they do it,” said Andrew Woods, 19, of South Roxana, Ill.

Others took the shot as just another challenge in the grueling 12-week testing process to see how badly they want to join an elite fighting force.

“I’ve wanted to be a Marine for a long time,” said William Bake, 19, of College Corner, Ohio. “This is a small price to pay.”