Afghan troop virus identified

The bug caused problems at British hospitals during the winter months

LONDON, England -- British troops infected by a fever in Afghanistan are suffering from the "winter vomiting" bug, defence officials say.

Scientists at the UK Public Health Laboratory Service have made several positive diagnoses of the virus, the officials said.

News that the mystery illness had been identified came as a force of 1,000 mostly UK marines were searching for suspected al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in the Afghan mountains. (Full story)

Thirty eight British soldiers stationed at Bagram air base north of Kabul have fallen sick in the last week with symptoms including fever, vomiting and diarrohea. The outbreak was centred on the 34 Field Hospital at Bagram.

Several of the most seriously ill were evacuated to Britain and to a U.S. military hospital in Germany. They are now recovering and out of danger.

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Officials said they believed 25 of the troops had caught the winter vomiting virus -- officially known as Norwalk-like virus, after the Ohio town where it was first identified -- with the rest suffering from more common diarrohea bugs.

The illness is not usually life-threatening, but causes diarrhea and vomiting.

The virus is extremely similar to that which caused major problems in British hospitals earlier this year, a Ministry of Defence medical expert told the UK Press Association.

"If not identical is it virtually identical," he said. But while suggestions of a link with that outbreak were "interesting" it was unlikely.

"I don't think there is any suggestion that it has been brought in from the UK," he told PA.

While the bug caused severe vomiting and diarrhoea in Britain, the heat and humidity of Afghanistan had further amplified its affects.

Those worst hit are thought to have been unconscious at one point and suffered partial kidney failure.

"Experts were confused by the serious cases," one source told PA.

The virus is airborne and can pass from person to person with ease. It is often found in hospitals and schools.