Infections & Conflicts: Dysentery during WWII
It has often been stated that war is hell, and having an infectious disease outbreak in such a situation might be compared to the deepest circle of this infernic underworld. Contrary to popular belief, soldiers were historically some of the most prone when it comes to deadly diseases and dangerous infections (at least till the mid to late twentieth century). This can be attributed to the fact that a lot of military servicemen were kept together in large groups and being transported from location to location as such, not to mention the overall lack of hygiene and sanitation among these people (especially those in combat roles or serving on the frontlines of active battlefields). Infections usually occur when human bodies are under a lot of stress (psychological and/or physical) leading to compromised immunity systems. Military servicemen tend to operate under such conditions such as frequent exposure to the elements, a lack of sleep and just general combat fatigue. Additionally, the mass movement of troops during times of war might contribute to the unchecked spread of dangerous pathogens. It should go without saying that infections were common among prisoners of war (POW) due to the usually terrible conditions in which they were held.
A notable example of the above-mentioned phenomenon would be the frequent dysentery outbreaks among allied troops operating in Burma, the Far East, and North Africa during World War II. Dysentery is a tropical infection caused by a bacteria called Shigella (although other similar strains of this bacteria might also cause infections which exhibit similar symptoms). It should be noted that this bacteria is transmitted via dirty or contaminated water. As this bacterial infection affects the human intestines, common symptoms include stomach cramps and diarrhoea, and in cases where the infection was untreated for longer periods could lead to frequent bleeding from the rectal region. The most common (and effective) treatment methods utilized today requires antibiotics (for extreme cases) and the consumption of sufficient fluids. Identification of this bacterial infection during World War II involved a medic or doctor inserting a glass rod into the rectum of a suspected infected person; if the removed glass rod contained traces of blood, the individual in question was declared infected.
One notable major dysentery outbreak which involved POWs from World War II would be the Selarang Barracks Incident. This incident occurred in a POW camp located in Japanese occupied Singapore during the summer of 1942. This unjustifiable war crime occurred when 17,000 Anglo-Australian POWs were forced into cramped areas around the barracks square by their Japanese captors for five days with little to no access to clean water and no sanitation.
This occurred on the 30th of August 1942 when the POWs in question refused to sign a pledge not to escape following the recapture of four escaped POWs. It should be noted that this incident occurred for five days and included the extrajudicial execution of these recaptured POWs. The commanders of the POWs capitulated when their men started to fall ill and die from dysentery.
Although it’s important to remember the past, it should be noted that the overall treatment of POWs and medical care has drastically improved since World War II.
