Medical Surveillance Monthly Report MSMR). Volume 4, Number 7, October/November 1998

Abstract

Between 27 August and 1 September 1998, 99 soldiers assigned to the Fort Bliss Air Defense Artillery Training Center in El Paso, Texas were hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis (AGE). In order of descending frequency, their symptoms were acute onset of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fever (table 1). Initial clinical evaluations suggested the diagnosis of acute viral gastroenteritis. The median duration of hospitalizations was 24 hours (range: 12-72 hours). All soldiers admitted to the local William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) were assigned to the same unit and lived in close proximity within the training area compound (a five-by three- building rectangular compound that was segregated from the rest of the Fort Bliss installation). The hospitalization rate for AGE in the affected unit was 12% (99/835). Two dining facilities, "DF1" and "DF2," were located across from each other in the center of the compound. While some soldiers expressed a preference for one or the other, they generally dined where directed by their drill instructors or where the line was shorter.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1998
Accession Number
ADA497198

Entities

People

  • John Brundage
  • Kimmie Kohlhase
  • Mark V. Ruberton

Organizations

  • Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections
  • Health Services
  • Hygiene
  • Injury Prevention
  • Medical Personnel
  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  • Viruses
  • Wounds And Injuries
  • Zoonoses

Readers

  • Infectious Disease/Epidemiology
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Medical or Health Care Field.