Soldiers and epidemics

摘要

Epidemics have accompanied wars since antiquity. They have often influenced the outcome of battles and military campaigns, and have occurred among both soldiers and civilians. Favourable conditions for their emergence result from the destruction caused by fighting, the social disorganization and collapse of health systems, the slackening of hygiene and prevention of infectious diseases, and the weakening of populations, including by nutritional deficiency and deterioration in access to safe drinking water. Pathogens have also been used as biological weapons. Soldiers have sometimes been unintentional vectors of infections that have spread to the civilian population.