| prospective study of respiratory infections at the u.s. naval academy. | midshipmen at the u.s. naval academy have recently suffered epidemics of upper respiratory tract infections. seeking to determine cause, in june 1998 we enrolled 1,243 (99.5%) of 1,249 new midshipmen (plebes) and followed them during their first 11 months of training. eighty-five plebes sought medical attention for acute respiratory disease. using culture, serologic studies, and polymerase chain reaction, considerable evidence for respiratory pathogen infection was found among the ill subjects: ... | 2001 | 11569436 |