Illness in military personnel in Bagram, Afghanistan

Between 13 and 19 May, 29 cases of vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever affected British military staff in Bagram, Afghanistan, as reported in this week’s Communicable Disease Report (1). The illness had a short incubation period and mainly affected staff in the field hospital. Three patients were classified as seriously ill, with circulatory collapse (Glasgow coma score 4). Due to the difficult conditions in Bagram, 10 of them were brought back to the United Kingdom (UK) for medical care in National Health Service (NHS) hospitals.