Diarrhea morbidity among Dutch military service men in Goma, Zaire

An outbreak of diarrheal disease occurring among service men of the Royal Netherlands Forces while serving in the refugee camps in Goma, Zaire, is presented. Post-travel questionnaires were given to 131 military service men returning from Goma. In addition, routine blood investigations were undertaken and stool examined for persons with abdominal complaints. A high prevalence (59%) of diarrheal disease associated with the eating of food served by a local hotel was noted. Fifty percent of persons who developed diarrhea in this period had symptoms persisting for up to 10 days. Pathogens were recovered from the stools of five persons, and four of these had Shigella organisms isolated. The outbreak of diarrhea among the service men was directly linked to the eating of food that was prepared by a local Goma hotel, the possible causative agent for this outbreak being Shigella organisms. Both military and civilian humanitarians working in areas such as refugee camps with a high prevalence of diarrheal diseases should carefully consider eating from local restaurants and hotels.