Diarrheal disease during Operation Desert Shield

Article Abstract:

Diarrhea is a serious problem for US military personnel stationed overseas. It is a major cause of sickness and absenteeism from work. Outbreaks of diarrhea were a major threat to US military personnel stationed overseas during Operation Desert Shield. During the initial stages of this operation, more than 200,000 US military personnel were deployed to Saudi Arabia. In some of the military units, there were between 50 and 100 new cases of diarrhea each week per 1,000 soldiers. The US Naval Medical Research and Development Command set up a laboratory on the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia to investigate infectious diseases occurring during Operation Desert Storm. In an attempt to identify the causes and risk factors associated with diarrhea, stool samples from 432 military personnel with diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, cramps or vomiting were analyzed. Bacteria capable of causing diarrhea were found in 49.5 percent of the stool samples. The most common bacteria were Shigella sonnei and Escherichia coli. Many of the E. coli and S. sonnei infections were resistant to treatment with tetracycline, ampicillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but all were sensitive to treatment with norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. There was no evidence of Salmonella typhi (bacteria that cause typhoid fever) or Vibrio cholerae (bacteria that cause cholera) in any of the stool samples. Questionnaires were distributed to 2,002 soldiers in an attempt to estimate how many soldiers had symptoms of diarrhea. Fifty-seven percent of the troops surveyed had at least one episode of diarrhea during their first two months in Saudi Arabia, and 20 percent were unable to perform their duties because of their symptoms. It is concluded that diarrhea caused by E. coli and S. sonnei was a major threat to US troops during Operation Desert Storm. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Diseases, Military personnel, Operation Desert Shield, 1990-1991

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Intestinal electrolyte transport and diarrheal disease

Article Abstract:

Diarrhea can be caused by a number of mechanisms. Organisms can cause diarrhea by producing toxins in the intestines that affect or destroy the layer of cells lining the intestines, enterocytes, thereby altering the transport of fluids across the cells. Escherichia coli, a common species of bacteria, do not destroy the cells but inject a toxin which increases fluid secretion resulting in diarrhea. Clostridium difficile, on the other hand, produce a toxin which destroys the lining cells. Shigella bacteria can cause severe diarrhea by producing a toxin which affects the small intestines. Intestinal inflammation from allergies, infection and disease can also alter fluid transport. Other causes of diarrhea are malabsorption diseases, congenital disorders, hormone-secreting tumors, and diabetes mellitus. Therapy is generally aimed at replacing water and electrolyte loss, and fighting the infection causing the diarrhea with vaccines or drugs that affect the secretions of the enterocytes.

Gastrointestinal diseases, Gastrointestinal agents

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Intestinal electrolyte transport and diarrheal disease

Article Abstract:

Over five million people die of infectious diarrhea every year. Children under one year of age account for 80 percent of the deaths. The intestines function to absorb water, nutrients and electrolytes (compounds in water which carry electrical currents needed for cellular activity) during the digestive process. The rapid passage of fluid through the intestines during diarrhea can deplete the body of water (dehydration), nutrients and electrolytes, creating a life-threatening situation. A normal balance exists between the fluid in ingested food and the fluid found in blood. Diarrhea stimulates crypt cells within the intestines to increase secretion and block normal reabsorption. Hormones, toxins and other chemicals can further stimulate the secretion of fluid into the intestines. Fluid secretion is also stimulated by sodium and bicarbonate. The transport mechanisms controlling the secretion of these substances across cell walls are reviewed.

Analysis, Physiological aspects, Dehydration (Physiology), Electrolytes, Intestinal absorption, Water-electrolyte imbalances, Fluid-electrolyte imbalance

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