TASK FORCE III DESERT SHIELD/STORM

File: aaacf_50.txt
Page: 50
Total Pages: 273
IV. 	FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAKS.

	1. Approximately 2500 cases of gastroenteritis attributed to foodborne 
transmission were reported in USAF personnel during 16 disease outbreaks between 
August 1990 and 16 March 1991. This figure represents 32% of all gastroenteritis 
cases seen at USCENTAF MTFs. It does not include or account for ill persons that did 
not seek treatment or those treated at non-USCENTAF MTFs. No food sabotage is 
suspected. Food facilities implicated in these disease outbreaks include hotel and 
other commercial restaurants, local national catering services, US-supervised dining 
tents manned largely by third country nationals, and local national military dining 
facilities. Foods implicated include green salad, cream filled pastry, baked turkey, 
smoked veal sandwich, spaghetti/meat sauce, ham/tuna casserole, scrambled eggs, ice, 
milk, and yakisoba. To our knowledge, MRE's were not implicated in any foodborne 
illness outbreak investigations.

	2. The following information was reported to USCENTAF/SG by the USCENTAF MTFs. 
In most cases, detailed reports were not submitted. We've included as much 
information as is presently available to us. Outbreak summaries:

		a. August 1990, Jeddah: 70 cases of gastroenteritis were attributed to 
food served in a hotel restaurant where USCENTAF personnel were temporarily 
billeted.

		b. August 1990, Bateen: 30 - 40 cases of gastroenteritis were seen daily 
for 7 - 10 days. The suspected source was ice from an off-base host nation ice 
plant. Entameoba histolytica and giardia were detected by a local national 
laboratory in patient stools. Coliform organisms were cultured from the suspect ice.

		c. August 1990, Al Minhad: 30 - 40 cases of gastroenteritis were seen 
daily for 14 days. Entameaba histolytica was detected by a local national laboratory 
in patient stools. The suspected source was uncooked vegetables from an on-base host 
nation military dining hall. Sanitation practices were described as grossly 
inadequate.

		d. September 1990, Dharhan: 13 U.S. Army personnel were diagnosed with 
laboratory confirmed Salmonellosis. The suspected source was a local national 
chicken stand at a nearby port. USAF personnel did not have access to this facility.

		e. September 1990, Cairo West: "Foodborne illness outbreak due to milk 
served against EH recommendations".

		f. September, Al Dhafra: 300 cases of AGE presented in a 10 day period. 
Ice from a host nation source was suspected.