§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outbreak of dysentery at Vitez army camp in Bosnia; whether the source of infection has been identified; and what action has been taken to eradicate it.
§ Mr. SoamesBetween July and September 1994, some 250 soldiers in Vitez and the surrounding areas reported sick with diarrhoea. In the majority of cases no causative organism was identified, although some specimens revealed a mix of organisms including salmonella and shigella. No specific source was identified but the in-theatre British military environmental health inspector believed contributing factors to be: damaged sewage systems and inadequately maintained waste disposal746W facilities in the surrounding area; faecal contamination of a river running through the camp; hot water; a high incidence of disease-carrying insects; and poor hygiene practices among the troops.
As a result of his report, structural improvements were made to waste disposal systems, fly proofing was installed, food-handling and storage practices reinforced, water purification processes were checked and a theatre-wide campaign aimed at improving personal hygiene was introduced. The number of cases peaked in August and there have been no cases reported so far this month.