A total of 18 British soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been struck down with a mystery fever.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that two are “seriously ill”.
One of them has been flown back to Britain and another to Germany.
All the sick are military medical personnel working at 34 Field Hospital in Bagram which has now been closed - except to treat cases of the unidentified fever.
All the 350 troops who staff the hospital have been confined to either their quarters or the hospital.
Typhoid
A German field hospital is now providing back-up for other medical treatment for the Marines taking part in the ongoing Operation Snipe.
It was initially thought the disease was meningitis but initial tests have ruled that “unlikely”.
Some theories have suggested it could be enteric fever - which is related to typhoid.
The MoD has “categorically” confirmed the illness was not the result of a bio-terrorist attack.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1989000/1989777.stm
Source: BBC News