Few expected this sort of side effect from the fighting in Gaza. The Israeli Association of Infectious Diseases is carefully following one unexpected phenomenon: those wounded in Gaza are coming into the hospitals for treatment with fungi and bacteria that are drug resistant. In one tough case an imported fungus resulted in a tragic end for a soldier who was seriously wounded but succumbed while in intensive care in Ashdod.
The soldier, who was critically injured and had lost a lot of blood, was evacuated by helicopter. The soldier was injured in his limbs which brought them into contact with the contaminated soil so that the fungus found a way to get into his blood stream. The doctors fought for his life, but the infection continued to spread. The doctors tried everything at their disposal, including experimental treatments, but nothing worked.
The soil in Gaza, it seems is full of bacteria, spores of fungi and molds. Experts think that at least ten soldiers are victims of similar infections. Returning hostages also carried various infections that had entered their bodies through wounds.
Professor Galia Rahav, head of the Association of Infectious Diseases and manager of infectious diseases in Maayanei Hayeshua, told us, "We have known about the microbes of Gaza for many years. In my work at the Sheba hospital we worked together with doctors in the Shifa hospital of Gaza. We have a lot of experience with these treatment-resistant infections. We also saw them in children who came to us for treatment from Gaza. We often put them in isolation since they came with these violent, treatment-resistant pathogens."
Are these dangerous pathogens unique to Gaza?
Professor Rahav says that these bugs do not come only from Gaza, and are found in all hospitals. But generally they do not develop in young and healthy people, and only in those who have spent extended time in the hospital.
According to Professor Rahav, the conditions that prevail in Gaza , including a low level of public hygiene and improperly treated sewage, create ideal conditions for the development of treatment resistant pathogens. Contact with the soil there exposes Israeli soldiers to these dangerous infections. All of the hospitals have reported seeing these resistant infections.
How do you deal with these dangerous infections?
There are treatments and there are drugs. In most cases we are able to deal with them successfully. It is very important for the hospital staff to be aware of this issue and to deal with it as soon as possible.
