Travellers' diarrhoea: a military problem?

Abstract

One hundred years ago, apart from the treatment of war injuries, the prevention and treatment of diarrhoea was the dominant preoccupation of the deployed military doctor. Since, then our understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of enteric disease has developed exponentially and our armamentarium for the treatment of enteric diseases has expanded considerably. However, diarrhoea continues to be the dominant military medical concern in deployed units. Here, we examine the evidence for this, discuss the reasons why and critically evaluate current modes of prevention and treatment that are now available to the military medical officer.