Article
Epidemic eye diseases in history
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Published: | September 22, 2004 |
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Early in 2004 an adenovirus epidemy forced the German army to close several barracks temporarily; soon the epidemy was under control.
More severe problems were caused to the army lead by Napoleon Bonaparte about two hundred years ago in Egypt, where they were confronted with endemical trachoma. Almost the entire troups were infected, which among other reasons forced the French to withdraw their soldiers.
The infection was spread all over Europe by the homecoming and Napoleon's further military activities throughout the continent and caused blindness in thousands of soldiers and civil persons.
Thus an epidemy was created causing a great challenge to the (eye)doctors of the nineteenth century.