War is not a healthy business. Since hostilities began in March, more than 330 American and British soldiers have died in Iraq. All such losses are regrettable, but two deaths in particular are a puzzle. They were among 18 servicemen who have developed severe pneumonia in the past six months, part of a wider but milder outbreak that has affected another 74 American soldiers. Pneumonia is no stranger to army life, so these 90-odd cases are not surprising. What is unusual is the seriousness of the 18 cases, says Greg Gray, an epidemiologist at the University of Iowa. This mystery pneumonia has put healthy warriors on breathing machines. And although pneumonia can be infectious, there is no sign that soldiers are spreading it to each other; indeed, the severe cases are found in units deployed as far apart as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Djibouti and Uzbekistan.
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