Mass diarrhoea outbreak hits Swiss army again 

Sion military base Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Around 90 members of the Swiss army based in Sion have been affected by gastro-intestinal problems, the army has confirmed. It is the third such case this summer. 

The members of the army’s military police school started to feel unwell on Thursday night, a statement saidExternal link, confirming a report in the tabloid BlickExternal link.  

They have been given treatment and their lodgings disinfected. According to media reports, the staff are suffering from light cases of diarrhoea. Nobody went to hospital. 

“At the moment, investigations are ongoing into the cause of the illness symptoms,” the army statement said.  

At the beginning of July, 50 soldiers based in the JassbachExternal link barracks in the Bernese Emmental had to be treated in hospitalExternal link for gastro-intestinal problems. Four were in a critical condition for a short time.  

In a separate incident at same time a dozen recruits were affected by stomach problems at the military base in BièreExternal link in canton Vaud, but the cases were not as bad as in Jassbach. Lettuce was found to be the cause of the Bière outbreakExternal link. The investigation into what happened in Jassbach is ongoing, army spokesman Daniel Reist told Blick.  

Gastro-intestinal problems in military training schools are usually rare, Reist said. The number of cases this summer was unusual, he added.