Medical Surveillance Monthly Report

Click on the icon to open, download and save the latest issue of MSMRThe September 2025 MSMR presents the annual burden of morbidity issue, beginning with an analysis of absolute and relative morbidity burdens attributable to various illnesses and injuries among U.S. active component service members in 2024; complemented by related reports on both hospitalizations and ambulatory care visits among active component service members in 2024, and reports for morbidity burdens among deployed active and reserve component members, in addition to medical evacuations from U.S. Central and Africa Commands among the active and reserve components for 2024; followed by a report on absolute and relative morbidity burdens attributable to various illnesses and injuries among active component members of the U.S. Coast Guard in 2024. These reports are accompanied by a report on absolute and relative morbidity burdens among non-service member beneficiaries of the Military Health System in 2024. Two Surveillance Snapshots focus on illness and injury burdens among reserve component and Coast Guard Reserve members. A third Surveillance Snapshot features telehealth use trends among active component service members from 2020 through 2024. The issue concludes with the monthly summary of the most frequent reportable medical events within the Military Health System.  

The Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, published continually since 1995, is a peer-reviewed journal of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division. MSMR publishes monthly reports describing the incidence, distribution, impact, or trends of illness and injuries among members of the United States Armed Forces and other beneficiaries of the Military Health System.

The April 2025 30th anniversary issue features a variety of articles on the history of MSMR and U.S. military medical surveillance, the May 2025 issue focuses on military women's health and readiness, and the June 2025 issue provides data on heat illnesses and injuries among active component service members during the prior year.

Articles from each issue of MSMR are accessed by scrolling to the You Also May Be Interested In... section of this page.

MSMR is always seeking high quality, relevant submissions for publication. Prospective authors are welcome to review instructions and submit manuscripts within the aims and scope of the journal. Inquiries regarding content or material to be considered for publication should be directed to the MSMR Editor.

Download the MSMR

Here, you can download the current and past issues of the MSMR. Inquiries regarding content or material to be considered for publication should be directed to the MSMR Editor.

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Article
Mar 1, 2022

Brief Report: Refractive Surgery Trends at Tri-Service Refractive Surgery Centers and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fiscal Years 2000–2020

Cadet Saverio Macrina, U.S. Military Academy West Point, receives corneal cross-linking procedure at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Va., Nov. 21, 2016. (DoD photo by Reese Brown)

Since the official introduction of laser refractive surgery into clinical practice throughout the Military Health System (MHS) in fiscal year 2000, these techniques have been heavily implemented in the tri-service community to better equip and improve the readiness of the U.S. military force.

Article
Mar 1, 2022

Brief report: Using syndromic surveillance to monitor MIS-C associated with COVID-19 in Military Health System beneficiaries

Air Force 1st Lt. Anthony Albina, a critical care nurse assigned to Joint Base Andrews, Md., checks a patient’s breathing and heart rate during an intubation procedure while supporting COVID-19 response operations in Cleveland, Jan. 20, 2022.

SARS CoV-2 and the illness it causes, COVID-19, have exacted a heavy toll on the global community. Most of the identified disease has been in the elderly and adults. The goal of this analysis was to ascertain if user-built ESSENCE queries applied to records of outpatient MHS health care encounters are capable of detecting MIS-C cases that have not ...

Article
Mar 1, 2022

Update: Malaria, U.S. Armed Forces, 2021

Mosquitos – like this one, collected as part of a military study in North Carolina – were used during USAMRDC’s initial RTS,S vaccine studies nearly 40 years ago. (Photo courtesy: AFC Kimberly Barrera)

Malaria infection remains an important health threat to U.S. service members who are located in endemic areas because of long-term duty assignments, participation in shorter-term contingency operations, or personal travel. In 2021, a total of 20 service members were diagnosed with or reported to have malaria.

Article
Mar 1, 2022

Obesity prevalence among active component service members prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, January 2018–July 2021

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for military members to stay fit to fight. The body mass index is a tool that can be used to determine if an individual is at an appropriate weight for their height. A person’s index is determined by their weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Airman 1st Class Destinee Sweeney)

This study examined monthly prevalence of obesity and exercise in active component U.S. military members prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had a small effect on the trend of obesity in the active component U.S. military and that obesity prevalence continues to increase.

Article
Mar 1, 2022

Surveillance Snapshot: Medical Separation from Service Among Incident Cases of Osteoarthritis and Spondylosis, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2016–2020

Marines hike to the next training location during Exercise Baccarat in Aveyron, Occitanie, France, Oct.16, 2021. Exercise Baccarat is a three-week joint exercise with Marines and the French Foreign Legion that challenges forces with physical and tactical training. Photo By: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jennifer Reyes

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common adult joint disease and predominantly involves the weight-bearing joints. This condition, including spondylosis (OA of the spine), results in significant disability and resource utilization and is a leading cause of medical separation from military service.

Fact Sheet
Mar 30, 2017

Demographic and Military Traits of Service Members Diagnosed as Traumatic Brain Injury Cases

.PDF | 283.00 KB

This fact sheet provides details on the demographic and military traits of service members diagnosed as traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases during a 16-year surveillance period from 2001 through 2016, a total of 276,858 active component service members received first-time diagnoses of TBI - a structural alteration of the brain or physiological ...

Fact Sheet
Mar 30, 2017

Heat Illnesses by Location, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2012-2016 Fact Sheet

.PDF | 267.04 KB

This fact sheet provides details on heat illnesses by location during a five-year surveillance period from 2012 through 2016. 11,967 heat-related illnesses were diagnosed at more than 250 military installations and geographic locations worldwide. Three Army Installations accounted for close to one-third of all heat illnesses during the period.