Alimentary infections during war conditions: Mostar and Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992-1995

The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of sanitary and epidemiologic measures undertaken in relation to alimentary infections in the military corps of the Croatian Defense Council (Hrvatsko vijece obrane) and civilian population in Mostar and Tomislavgrad regions during the 1992-1995 War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 25 (4.8%) of soldiers and 7 (7.1%) of non-military personnel were not being granted medical clearance to be employed in the food provision services. We recorded a total of 68 alimentary infections cases in military personnel (with an incidence of 536,2 per 100,000 persons), and 436 in civilian population (573,9 per 100,000 person), without significant difference between them (P = 0.647). We did not record any alimentary infection outbreak in the military personnel, while two smaller epidemics of the abdominal typhus were recorded among civilian populations, but without lethal outcomes. The results of this study suggest that even the most basic adherence to the principle of standard sanitary and epidemiologic preventive measures may substantially reduce the probability of alimentary infections outbreaks, even in the highly disruptive, warfare environment.