§ Mr. Duncan SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what illnesses have been reported by British servicemen who are serving or who have served in Sierra Leone. [148350]
§ Dr. Moonie[holding answer 2 February 2001]: There are 112 confirmed and three suspected cases of malaria among service personnel who deployed to Sierra Leone. There was also one person suspected of having lassa fever, which was subsequently found not to be the case. These are cases of notifiable communicable diseases, reported by the Ministry of Defence in accordance with UK legislation. As of 31 January, available central records of illnesses among service personnel who deployed in Sierra Leone showed 36 reported cases of additional types of illnesses, among some 7,500 personnel deployed to Sierra Leone. These illnesses were: nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, fever and chills, dizziness, photophobia, viral meningitis, herpes zoster, severe stress, acute pharyngitis, chronic sinusitis, noninfective gastroenteritis and colitis, enteritis, right sided pleuritic chest pain, pyrexia, nasopharyngitis, viral illness, possible parasite infestation, possible appendicitis, chest infection, infection in finger, acute tonsillitis.