An outbreak of rubella in British troops in Bosnia

Abstract

An outbreak of rubella in April 1996 involved four male British soldiers deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina. All were helicopter ground crew who were members of the same unit and who periodically travelled to and worked at forward air refuelling stations in Bosnia. There was a potential for spread of the infection to adjacent British units, to troops of other nations in the peacekeeping force, and also to the local civilian population. The British force included 620 female personnel, some of whom may have been non-immune to rubella. One pregnant British servicewoman was repatriated to UK for her own protection. There was a potential health risk, including the possibility of congenital rubella syndrome, in the non-immune wives and partners of deployed male personnel, as a result of contact during the mid-tour home leave of the husbands or partners. The outbreak was monitored through a medical surveillance system known as ARRC 97, and was contained by prompt and rigorous control measures. This outbreak shows the importance of effective surveillance and of good microbiology laboratory support during military operations. The role of immunization against rubella during future military deployments is discussed.