Surveillance of some infectious diseases among aircrew personnel in Southeast Asia.

A 2-year analysis of specimens among aircrew personnel in Southeast Asia is reported. Stool specimens were examined for intestinal parasites and enteric bacteria, blood smears for blood parasites, and sera tested for transaminases (SGOT) and antibodies to Entamoeba histolytica, Toxoplasma gondii, Chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis viruses, Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, Leptospira sp. and Pseudomonas pseudomallei. One to four specimens each were obtained from 537 adult males and 20 females. There were 56 subjects with intestinal parasites as follows: Giardia lamblia (3.8%), Endolimax nana (2.6%), Entamoeba histolytica (1.4%), Entamoeba hartmanni (0.9%), Entamoeba coli (0.7%), Trichiuris trichiura (1.7%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1.4%), hookworm (0.9%), and Clonorchis sinensis (1.2%). Two individuals had malaria, Plasmodium vivax (0.6%). Pathogenic enteric bacteria were isolated from seven stool specimens; Shigella groups B and D (0.9%), Salmonella paratyphi (0.3%), and Arizona group (0.9%). Significantly elevated SGOT levels were found in 0.9% and antibodies to Japanese encephalitis virus in 1.5%, to Rickettsia tsutsugamushi in 1.2%, to Pseudomonas pseudomallei in 0.3%, to Entamoeba histolytica in 0.9% and to Toxoplasma gondii in 10.1%. No antibodies were found to Chikungunya virus or Leptospira sp.