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File: 970207_aadch_013.txtIV. FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAKS. 1. Approximately 2500 cases of gastroenteritis attributed to foodborne transmission were reported in USAF personnel during 16 disease outbreaks between August 1990 and 16 March 1991. This figure represents 32% of all gastroenteritis cases seen at USCENTAF MTFs. It does not include or account for ill persons that did not seek treatment or those treated at non-USCENTAF MTFs. No food sabotage is suspected. Food facilities implicated in these disease outbreaks include hotel and other commercial restaurants, local national catering services, US-supervised dining tents manned largely by third country nationals, and local national military dining facilities. Foods implicated include green salad, cream filled pastry, baked turkey, smoked veal sandwich, spaghetti/meat-sauce, ham/tuna casserole, scrambled eggs, ice, milk, and yakisoba. To our knowledge, MRE's were not implicated in any foodborne illness outbreak investigations. 2. The following information was reported to USCENTAF/SG by the USCENTAF MTFs. In most cases, detailed reports were not submitted. We've included as much information as is presently available to us. Outbreak summaries: a. August 1990, Jeddah: 70 cases of gastroenteritis were attributed to food served in a hotel restaurant where USCENTAF personnel were temporarily billeted. b. August 1990, Bateen: 30 - 40 cases of gastroenteritis were seen daily for 7 - 10 days. The suspected source was ice from an off-base host nation ice plant. Entameaba histolytica and giardia were detected by a local national laboratory in patient stools. Coliform organisms were cultured from the suspect ice. c. August 1990, A1 Minhad: 30 - 40 cases of gastroenteritis were seen daily for 14 days. Entameoba histolytica was detected by a local national laboratory in patient stools. The suspected source was uncooked vegetables from an on-base host nation military dining hall. Sanitation practices were described as grossly inadequate. d. September 1990, Dharhan: 13 U.S. Army personnel were diagnosed with laboratory confirmed Salmonellosis. The suspected source was a local national chicken stand at a nearby port. USAF personnel did not have access to this facility. e. September 1990, Cairo West: "Focdborne illness outbreak due to milk served against EH recommendations". f. September, A1 Dhafra: 300 cases cf AGE presented in a 10 day period. Ice from a host nation source was suspected. 3
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