MORRIS GOLDMAN AND R. EK. CARVER
TABLE 4
Relationship of sex of individuals lo infection with tntestinal parasites*
Male
.
Female
:|
Organism
Uoder13years
E. histolytica ...........
DT. COLL eee eee
E.nane..............05.
G. lamblia. ......-.-..4-.
T. homtinis......0.....005
Hookworm..............
TT. trichture. cc... cece ee
No parasiteg.............
§
14.
6
§
14
0
18
13 and over (49 cases)
(12.2)7
(34.1)
(14.6)
(12.2)
(34.1)
(43.9)
9 (22.0)
10
22
20
1
11
6
10
(20.4)
(44.9)
(40.8)
(2.0)
(22.4)
(12.2)
(20.4)
§ (16.3)
Undigr13years
6
6
6
5
10
2
14.
(18.7)
018.7}
(18.7)
(15.6)
(31.3)
(6,3)
(43.8)
11 (34.4)
13 and over (51 cases ,
ee
12
17
14.
1
18
2
19
(23.5)
(33.3)
(27.5)
(2.0)
(35.3)
(3.9)
(87.3)
10 (19.6)
* Eight individuals whose sex was unknown are omitted from this table.
{ Figures in parentheses are per cent.
pursuits up to puberty, but that afterwards
their daily routines probably differed. Older
males had hivher or similar incidences than
older femuales for all parasites except T. frichtura,
of which incidence was about half as great in
males. Among younger males incidences tended
to be lower than among young females except
for BE. coli which was distinctly higher among
the males.
The only recent imformation available to us
on intestinal parasites in the Murshallese was
from a survey performed by the Medical Department of the U.S.8. Whidbey in 1945-1950.
This report is deposited at the Bishop Museum,
Honolulu. Sugsr flotation was used to examine
the stools and this may account for the rather
low incidence of protozoan infections found.
In that survey individuals were examined from
many atolls of the Marshall Islands, but the
over-all picture for helminths was similar to our
findings, namely: hookworm, 6.89; Trichuris,
11.09; and Ascaris, 0.3%.
DISCUSSION
Cri
Although differences in incidence of various
parasites occurred in exposed and nonexposed
groups, there is no convincing indication that
radiation had anything to do with the variations.
In most instances differences can be accounted
for by sampling errors in the relatively small
number of cases studied. In addition, the two
groups are not precisely comparable. The nonexposed “control” group consisted of individuals
who lived on different islands before joining the
exposed population of Rongelap. Environmental
Ui2 iil.
sanitation wus not necessarily the same for th
two groups.
The environment on the coral atolls and th.
customs of the inhabitants are such that it wa
not expected that any trematode or cestod:
infections would be found. However, the com
plete absence of Ascaris in the face of a 34.3¢
incidence of Trichurés was unexpected. Lif:
cycles of both these nematodes in the externa
environment are such that they are frequent!:
found together in other areas. The history o
Marshallese association with other peoples
Europeans, Japanese and Amencans, make
it likely that they have been exposed to Ascerts
Thus, one is led to the possibility that the exter
nal environment on Rongelap Atoll may b&b
unfavorable for Ascaris even though very suit
able for Trichuris. We were not successful u
obtaining stools from any of the few dogs or
the island in order to check for dog ascarids
Several dried pig droppings were examined a
one time and no Ascaris was found in them
However, in the absence of more epidemio
logical and experimental information, one cat
only euess as to the reasonsfor the lack of Ascaris
Soil moisture, salinity, pH, porosity, etc., may
all play some part in this unusual picture.
The fact that half the cases with eosinophil:
showed no helminthic infections at all suggest.
that there were other significant factors causiny
this blood picture besides parasitic infections
Os the other hand, the greater incidence o
Trichuris among patients with eosinophil:
than among those without eosinophilia, indicate.
that infection with that helminth was probabls
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