AN INTESTINAL PARASIPE SURVEY ON RONGELAP ATOLL IN THE
MARSHALE ISLANDS
MORRIS GOLDMAN ayo RoW. CARVER
Pepartuent of Health, Ediecution, and Welfare, Public Health Serr: re, Commeunicuble Disease
Center , tanta, Georgia
quickly evacuated to other atelis in the Marshal!
Islands due to riidiauctive contanunition of
thar home atoll, In 1937 their island was considered safe for habitation and a new perinanent
village was constructed for them. They were
returned there in July of that year. In addition,
a group of Rongelap people who were not exposed to ruchution becuuse they were away
from the ishind at the tune of the accident,
returned to live with their fellow islanders on
Rongelap. Thix group has served as a com-
The Marsiiall Elands constitute a group of
low coral atells in the Pacific Ovean abuut 2400
niles west-southwest of the Hawanun Islands.
They extend north of the equator from 4° to
15°, and in an cust-west direction from I61° E.
to 172° E. Rongclip Atol! rs one of the most
northern of the gruup with approximate coordinates of 11° N. by 166° E. The total area of this
atoll is 426 sq. miles of which only 2.5 sq. miles
are land. The population in 1954, when the fallout occurred, was about 100. At the time of
this survey, the populatiun wus not known
accurately but was probably aver 200.
parison population for exuminations conducted
during the past two vears.
Extensive medical examinatious have been
carricd auton these peuple since their exposure.? &*
In order to attempt to explain the generally
Ingh incidence of eosinuphilia in these pcople,®
and in viewof the lack of reliable parasitologieal
information for the arca, an intestinal parasite
survey was conducted as part of the examinations
carried out in March 1938, four years after
exposure to radiation. Sixta-nine exposed and
JI2 nonexposed individuals were examined in
the intestinal parasite portion of this examinathon.
Bevause general information concerning the
island is relatively sparse, we propose to present
here, in addition to parasitological information,
some background material so that the reader
may have an idea of the environment in which
the Marshall Islanders live, Most of this materal has been abstracted from “Military Gvog-
raphy of the Northern Marshalls’? and mucel of
owas confirmed by personal observations of the
Climute
Rongelap Atoll has a tropical marine climate
characterized by uniform temperature, high
humidity,
cloudiness
and
wind.
The
mean
annual temperature is remarkably constant
at about 80°F with mean monthly temperatures
not varving more than 2°. The sunfight is intense
and the heat is uncomfortable in sunny places
sheltered from the trade wind. Mean relative
humidity is about SO per cent and is comparatively uniform throughout the year.
Most of the rain falls in moderate to heavy
showers of short duration during lute summer
and early fall. If a hurricane develops in the
area, several days of almost continuous rain may
occur. Annual mean rainfall in Rongelap ts
about 65 inches but there may be great variation from year to year. Although this does not
represent a dry climate as understood in continental regions, the special soil conditions on the
atolls result in a condition of semiaridity with
such levels of precipitation.
ABLE
explosion of a large nuclear device. They were
GENERAL BACKGROUND
BEST COPY AVAI L
In March 1934, S40 Marshallese inhabiting
the Atoll of Nongelap were accidentally irrad ated with fallout following the experment:!
authors.
Terrain
* These surveys are carricd out by the BrookThe
usual
arrangement
of an atoll is a reef of
haven National Luboratory, with participants
fromother organiz:ations, and are under the direevarying width, irregularly ring shaped, enclosing
tien of Dr. Rubert A. Conard of Brookhaven
a basin of water called a lagoon. Most of the
ational Laboratory. They are sponsored by the
reef is at or Just below water level, but at interAtomic Pnuergy Cominission with the collaboration of the Department of pees
vegetated islets of all sizes and shapes
low
pede"
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The Medical Research Center
Brookhaven Nationa} Latore's My
Upton, L. L, New York