Brit Soldiers in Kabul May Have Typhoid

Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit

Times of London - May 16, 2002
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-297915,00.html


Soldiers in Kabul may have typhoid

By Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor

EIGHTEEN army medical staff serving in Afghanistan have been struck
down by a mysterious illness that has forced British troops to close
down their field hospital at the Bagram airbase outside Kabul.

Two soldiers, described as ?very seriously ill?, were evacuated for
treatment. One has returned to Britain and the other is recovering at
a US military hospital in Germany.

The remainder, who are all suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting and
fever, which are classic symptoms of typhoid fever, are being kept in
quarantine until the illness can be identified and treated.

The Army?s 34 Field Hospital has been closed to all but similar cases
to stop the contagious disease spreading among the thousands of
British and allied troops stationed at the former Soviet airbase.

The Ministry of Defence said that the closure of the hospital would
not affect British operations. British troops can be treated by
medical staff from allied forces who have their own facilities at
Bagram and outside the southern city of Kandahar.

Although there is evidence that al-Qaeda has been experimenting with
biological weapons for use against allied forces, a defence source
insisted that bioterrorism had been ruled out in this case.

Despite the outbreak of the illness, a senior Whitehall official said
yesterday that allied forces were planning new operations in
Afghanistan.

It was not clear whether Royal Marine commandos, who have just
completed Operation Snipe, a two-week search for al-Qaeda and Taleban
fighters in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, would be involved.
The 1,700 Royal Marines are due to return to Britain in July.

 
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nytmid-05.16.02-09:10:30-31517