title: Simultaneous epidemics of influenza and malaria in the Australian Army in Palestine in 1918.
abstract: In October 1918, an Allied army (Egyptian Expeditionary Force) in Palestine experienced simultaneous epidemics of falciparum malaria and influenza during the cavalry campaign that defeated the Turkish Army. Malaria infection occurred 2 weeks after the advance of cavalry units into areas without environmental mosquito control. Pandemic influenza, now thought to be an A/H1N1 strain, struck at the same time. In the Egyptian Expeditionary Force of 315,000 soldiers, 773 died from malaria and 934 from influenza-pneumonia. Disease casualties outnumbered those due to combat by more than 37 to 1. Simultaneous infectious disease epidemics can cause mass casualties, capable of overwhelming any health service.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Military and Veterans' Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. dennis.shanks@defence.gov.au
authors.forename: G Dennis
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Shanks
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history*; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000266:history*; D047828:World War I