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File: 120596_aaczo_01.txtDTG: 01 DEC 90 SUBJECT: 48 TFW-P WING HISTORICAL REPORT, 1-31 DEC 1990 UNCLASSIFIED EPIDEMIC OF FOOD POISONING (U) Between 2 December and 7 December 1990, the 48 TFW experienced an epidemic of Salmonella foodborne sickness characterized by fever, nausea and diarrhea. Efforts to identify and stem the infection included temporarily restricting off-base travel and closing most of the MWR activities in a quarantine. (U) The epidemic began shortly after an increase in the number of newly deployed personnel arrived on station. Whether this meant the importation of the virus or just a coincidence had to wait until environmental health technicians isolated the source of infection. Possible sources of infection could include someone among the newly arrived troops or it could have been a matter of timing for the virus which may have been dormant until the change in weather. Laboratory analysis identified the illness as a salmonella outbreak resulting from the use of contaminated foodstuffs. [ (U) Later investigation proved that the wide-spread illness did not come from a virus but rather from a bacteria which had infested itself in fresh eggs purchased from the local Saudi commissary. Subsequent cultures proved that salmonella was the culprit to blame for hospitalizing approximately 80 US personnel. UNCLASSIFIED 19
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