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The Ministry of Defense "did not take into account the risk" posed to soldiers deployed in Afghanistan by what is called Helmand group fevers, a court said.
Wayne Bbad, a soldier from the 2nd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment, said his life had been ruined after serving in Helmand province in 2011-2012 without receiving any antibiotics from him. ;army.
Humans can get Q fever after breathing in the dust of infected farm animals such as sheep, cattle and goats.
During his tour, Mr. Bbad was in contact with goats and sheep and "was often forced to shelter, to cross ditches and crawl on the ground, contacting animal products and excrement, "said his lawyers.
Bbad, 34, was released from the military for medical reasons in June 2012 because of his Q fever and chronic fatigue symptoms.
Theo Huckle, QC, told the court that his client's case was a known "well-established" risk for soldiers deployed in the developing Helmand group's fever zone, including Q fever.
In opening the file, he said: "What he says is the obligation of the Department of Defense, his employer being to identify the risks to him in this regard, and take all reasonable steps to minimize or eliminate the risks. "
In court documents exposing the case, the Ministry of Defense should have considered the use of doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat Q fever, as an antimalarial drug.
Mr. Huckle told the court, "Essentially, the Complainant's complaint is that the Department of Defense did not take into account the relevant risks, being concerned about its policy of protecting against malaria, Did not treat the risk of Helmand men's fever correctly, and having failed to cope with the risk, unsurprisingly, they took no action to deal with this risk. "
Dressed in a navy blue suit adorned with two medals, his hands crossed around a cane, Mr. Bbad was sitting at the back of the audience room behind his legal representatives.
Presenting the plaintiff to Judge Heather Baucher, QC, Mr. Huckle, QC stated that he could sometimes be "in considerable discomfort".
She replied that he was free to leave the courtroom when he wanted to take a break.
This is the first time the Ministry of Defense has tested the MoD's obligation to protect against Q fever, said Hilary Meredith Solicitors, the company acting on behalf of Bbad, 34.
The five-day trial, which began Monday at the Central County Court of London, will examine the extent of any military obligation to Mr. Bbad regarding Q fever. and if that obligation would have been broken.
Mr. Bbad's lawyers stated that he was disabled, suffering from anxiety and depression, as well as symptoms "greatly affecting his life and ability to function".
In a document setting out the application, the lawyers stated: "The plaintiff remains severely limited in his physical functions.
"He is unable to work. He can not carry out domestic activities.
"There was no significant recovery."
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