The professional association Union of Troop Soldiers (UMT) has reported in a statement that at least 14 soldiers deployed in Ceuta have suffered an outbreak of scabies. The UMT directly points to the “poor conditions in which the personnel were housed last Saturday, August 15” in some old military facilities.
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It would be the former K-8 Coastal Battery, accommodations usually out of use “without the required hygienic maintenance, with known history of similar infestations and in overcrowded conditions,” which would have caused the scabies outbreak that has so far affected 14 members of the Ceuta Regulars Group No. 54.
The UMT has reported the facts to the Ministry of Defense, the Undersecretariat of Defense, and the Permanent Secretariat of the Armed Forces Personnel Council (COPERFAS) and has demanded to know if the outbreak has spread among other military units deployed in Ceuta due to the migratory crisis.
Defense points out that the cases do not necessarily have to be related to the migratory crisis
For its part, in statements to EFE, Defense sources have indicated that the cases do not necessarily have to be related to the migratory crisis.
Likewise, the soldiers have lamented that to the precarious sanitary conditions is added a lack of supply of materials such as PPE, masks, or gloves.
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The Spanish Troop and Navy Association (ATME) had already previously warned of the possible appearance of contagious disease cases, “probably scabies,” among soldiers deployed in the autonomous city, so it had requested “precise” information from the Ministry of Defense on the matter.
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According to a statement, “some soldiers have expressed concern about the possible presence of this infectious disease, which has generated doubts about the existence of isolated or linked cases and about the activation of epidemiological surveillance protocols.”
Furthermore, it requests information on what medical contingency plan is being applied to stop the spread to families and the civilian population, and details about the urgent disinfection tasks scheduled for facilities, gyms, and unit vehicles.
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