SHORT REPORT - IMPACT OF TRAVELERS DIARRHEA ON UNITED-STATES TROOPS DEPLOYED TO THAILAND

Among a United States military unit of 170 personnel deployed to Utapa o, Thailand for a three-week training exercise, 40% experienced diarrh eal disease, and 12% sought medical treatment for diarrhea. Most illne ss clustered within the first two weeks of arrival and individuals wer e ill an average of 3.6 days. Fifty-five percent of cases lost two day s of work and 15% required treatment with intravenous fluids. Bacteria l pathogens were recovered from 38% of 16 stools submitted, with Campy lobacter jejuni the most common. Four (12.5%) of 32 persons who volunt arily submitted paired sera exhibited a four-fold increase in IgG anti body titer to C. jejuni. Traveler's diarrhea continues to be an import ant problem with a serious potential to impact the mission readiness o f even small military units deployed overseas.