Food poisoning, typhoid, bacterial bloody diarrhea, giardiasis, skin fungal diseases, scabies, leishmaniasis, meningitis, urinary infection, malaria, schistosoma, influenza and muscle cramps were common diseases of combatants in operational regions in the Imposed War.

During dispatches and military operations, combination of psychological, environmental and physical factors causes change in defense system of military individuals body and finally leads to spread of epidemic diseases in war zones. Existence of these diseases has important effect on military personnel and can cause cancellation or grounding of a military operation. As grounding of Xerxes army due to diarrhea, grounding of Timur army due to cholera, death of Alexander and his companions due to malaria in ancient times and defeat of German army in Soviet Union due to frostbite are examples of effects of diseases on battle process.⁠[1]

With beginning of the Imposed War, various diseases spread among Iranian military forces and combat medicine was responsible for confronting spread of diseases and treating patients.

Common war diseases in Sacred Defense, in terms of origin of spread, are divided into categories of gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases, infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, viral diseases and diseases caused by low physical strength of combatants. Although Iranian combatants for various reasons such as culture, religious beliefs and sharia requirements had more adherence to personal and public hygiene than Iraqi forces, but lack of facilities, unsuitable weather, war limitations, etc. caused spread of disease among forces.

Gastrointestinal disorders were first and most important cause of disease among combatants caused by various factors such as stress, war pressure, underlying problems and parasites. Food poisoning was among most common gastrointestinal diseases which especially during operations spread through consumption of unhealthy food or drinking water or consuming them in unsanitary conditions. Diarrhea, vomiting, pain, muscle cramps, dehydration and lethargy were common symptoms of food poisoning in Sacred Defense and use of chemical drugs, yogurt and fenugreek, apple vinegar, ginger tea and fresh lemon were common methods of treating these diseases.⁠[2]

Another common gastrointestinal disease in war was typhoid and paratyphoid which physicians mostly diagnosed and treated based on symptoms such as permanent fever, lethargy, stupor, emaciated face and hollow under eyes.⁠[3]

Among gastrointestinal diseases observed among combatants was bacterial bloody diarrhea known as shigellosis. Of course this disease was found sporadically and less observed as epidemic in fronts. This disease, which sometimes accompanied with watery and bloody diarrhea, was mostly transmitted through water, food, mouth and digestion. Combat health units for prevention trained water and food hygiene, washing hands before eating and drinking.⁠[4]

Giardiasis or gastrointestinal tract infection and diarrheal disease was another common disease in Imposed War transmitted through contact with infected persons or eating food and drinking contaminated water.⁠[5]

Another common gastrointestinal disease in fronts was stomach and duodenum discomfort. Stress, war pressure, continuous and long-term effort and sometimes malnutrition and history of stomach and duodenum ulcer are main reasons of this disease.⁠[6]

Skin diseases were second spectrum of common diseases in war zones which usually originated from parasites and biting insects.

Skin fungal diseases was one of war diseases during Sacred Defense categorized in skin diseases. This type of disease was mostly observed in amphibious forces and divers. Humidity was one of important and effective factors of combatants affliction to this disease which was treated with topical ointments, dietary or injectable drugs.⁠[7]

Scabies is one of contagious skin diseases observed in war in southern fronts of Iran and if one combatant afflicted with scabies, all individuals stationed in that complex were examined. Among common measures to confront scabies was creating bath-like facilities for patients.⁠[8]

Cutaneous leishmaniasis was another skin disease in war zones. This contagious disease agent is a parasite called Leishmania transmitted by bite of sandfly from infected human to healthy person and creates extensive and long-term wounds in open parts of body like face, neck and hand and sometimes in covered parts of body. During war, only one case of this disease was reported in front. Leishmaniasis disease has no vaccine and best way to prevent is use of insect repellent ointments, spraying with DDT poison, observing personal hygiene, environmental hygiene and preventing contamination.⁠[9]

Infectious diseases were another category of war diseases which in Sacred Defense affected armed forces.

Meningitis was among infectious diseases vaccination against which was widely done in fronts. This disease transmitted through cough, sneeze, upper respiratory system and through close contact from person to person or objects contaminated with respiratory secretions. Due to abundance of meningitis cases in fronts and since common drugs of this disease in that period did not work well in some microbial samples of meningitis, from 1984 until end of war vaccination against meningitis was used.⁠[10]

Urinary infection was another infectious disease in Sacred Defense. Causes of this disease were hard and critical conditions of fronts which sometimes caused combatants to hold urine for hours, use of contaminated water for purification, bathing and entering contaminated river waters, marching in contaminated swamps, staying in damp trenches and stress are also factors of this disease.⁠[11]

Parasitic diseases were another category of common war diseases in Sacred Defense mostly seen in southern regions of country; malaria was most common type of parasitic disease in war zones.⁠[12]

Schistosoma was another parasitic disease native to Khuzestan and Kermanshah provinces and since amphibious activities began in fronts, was repeatedly seen among combatants stationed in southern front and cases also in Kermanshah province. This disease, in addition to causing urinary tract involvement, also involved liver and skin. To confront this disease, areas contaminated with worm and carrier snail were also sprayed.⁠[13]

Among types of war diseases, diseases of viral origin had least diversity and influenza was the only viral disease of war zones. In Sacred Defense, influenza vaccine was not as abundant as today and less used, but in last years of war when virus of this disease spread, World Health Organization presented plans and use of anti-influenza vaccine became common and in educational centers especially with start of autumn season polyvalent vaccines were used.⁠[14]

Last common cause of disease in forces was low physical strength of combatants which caused muscle cramps in combatants. Muscle cramps were another common disease in Sacred Defense which often involved newcomers due to intense physical exercises and long marches. When this phenomenon accompanied with heat of southern regions, excessive sweating and loss of high amounts of blood sodium, pain intensified.⁠[15]

Of course all these diseases were apart from complications caused by Iraqs use of chemical weapons which combatants suffered and which were treated specially.

To care for patients passing acute period of disease, Ansar al-Hussein, Shahid Khodaparast, Seyyed al-Shohada, Vali-e Asr (AJ), Shahid Bakeri, Shushtar, Chamran University of Ahvaz, Dezful Air Base, Human Resources Reconstruction Center of Ahvaz Headquarters, Khatam al-Anbiya (PBUH), Fatemeh al-Zahra (PBUH), Shahid Rahnemoun, Shahid Dashtban, Samen al-Aemmeh (PBUH), Sarallah (PBUH) convalescent homes in southern region, Ilam Martyrs, Bahman Kermanshah, Farabi Kermanshah, Islamabad Airport Evacuation Staff, Elahiyeh, Allah-Akbar Garrison, Kermanshah Oil Company Club, Abuzar Garrison, Gilan-e Gharb, Shahid Najmi Sarpol-e Zahab, Tazehabad Kermanshah, Paveh in west and Orumiyeh, Naqadeh, Mahabad, Maragheh, Miandoab, Oshnavieh, Piranshahr, Sardasht, Bukan, Baneh, Saqqez, Sanandaj, Marivan and Sarvabad in northwest with total 12,140 beds were exploited by Combat Medicine Unit of IRGC.⁠[16]

In addition to treating patients, combat medicine units to prevent spread of diseases and improve hygiene of combat zones put in agenda fighting disease-carrying insects, fighting scorpion and snake, disinfecting and burial of Iraqi military corpses and animals, supervision on supply of healthy drinking water, supervision on supply of healthy food, supply of hygienic items and logistics, determining location of camps, forces and needed hygienic facilities, protection of tents, conexes, water tankers and prayer rooms, supply of necessary light and ventilation, installing guide signs, supervision on street layout and sidewalks, supply of healthy water for bathing, supervision on garbage collection, placement of garbage containers, and waste disposal and creating hygienic facilities such as bath, toilet, lavatories, toilet pit and bath and ablution house.⁠[17]

Mandatory vaccination of various diseases such as tetanus and meningitis before dispatch and during presence in region and recording it in combatants vaccine card was among other measures of combat medicine units to confront spread of diseases.⁠[18]

Measures of combat medicine units in confronting spread of diseases on one hand and observing hygienic issues by combatants on other hand caused Imposed War to end without epidemic of contagious diseases among combatants.⁠[19] While in closest war in time and place - First Persian Gulf War in Iraq - between 15 to 20 thousand American military forces and 4 thousand forces of US allied countries suffered set of symptoms such as painful joints, chronic fatigue, memory loss, headache, decreased concentration, sleep disorders, skin rashes, hives, depression, muscle cramps, anger, diarrhea, blurred vision, anxiety, respiratory problems, chest and heart pains, confusion, nausea, stomach pain, increased sensitivity to various chemical substances, decreased balance, frequent coughs and gum bleeding; American physicians after inability to root these symptoms and treat it called this condition Gulf War Illness.⁠[20]