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Bailey, M. S., Thomas, R., Green, A. D., Bailey, Wendi and Beeching, Nicholas 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7019-8791
(2006)
'Helminth infections in British troops following an operation in Sierra Leone'. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vol 100, Issue 9, pp. 842-846.
Abstract
One hundred and fifty-three British soldiers and 86 Royal Air. Force (RAF) personnel were deployed on a hostage rescue operation in Sierra Leone. For 3 days they were exposed to various infection risks and 6 weeks later some of the soldiers presented with gastrointestinal complaints. Both groups were screened with structured questionnaires, blood investigations and (where indicated) faecal microscopy and charcoal culture for helminths. Definite and probable cases of helminth infection were treated with albendazole and all soldiers were screened again after 3 months. Among the soldiers investigated, 73/145 (50%) reported gastrointestinal symptoms and 70/139 (50%) had eosinophilia. Among these, 17/66 (26%) had hookworm infection, 6/66 (9%) had Strongyloides stercoralis infection and 1/66 (2%) had Giardia lamblia infection. Eosinophilia was most strongly associated with entering the enemy camp and being in the platoon that attacked the area around the camp Latrines. Among RAF personnel, who were not involved in activities on the ground, 3/86 (3%) had borderline eosinophilia. Treatment of 105/153 (69%) soldiers with albendazole was welt tolerated and, on follow-up screening 3 months later, 23/124 soldiers (19%) had gastrointestinal symptoms and 18/121 (15%) had eosinophilia. Faecal investigations and schistosomiasis serology tests were all negative at this stage. (C) 2005 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | gastroenteritis hookworm infections strongyloidiasis albendazole military personnel sierra leone strongyloides-stercoralis infection far-east prisoners intestinal parasites hookworm infection vietnam veterans us-marines albendazole diagnosis outbreak gastroenteritis |
| Subjects: | QX Parasitology > Helminths. Annelida > QX 200 Helminths WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 360 Veterans health WI Digestive System > WI 140 Diseases (General) |
| Faculty: Department: | Groups (2002 - 2012) > Clinical Group |
| Digital Object Identifer (DOI): | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trstmh.2005.10.001 |
| Depositing User: | Ms Julia Martin |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Feb 2011 14:50 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Sep 2019 06:26 |
| URI: | https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/1443 |
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