11

rival in Marchit wasgratifying that most of the

people had put their moneyinto savings accounts.
The Utirik people seemed quite disappointed in
not receiving any monetary compensation for their
fallout exposure. In a lengthy meeting held with
them on arrival of the team, the reason for this the lack of radiation effects - was carefully explained, andit is believed they accepted thesituation in good grace, judging by their cooperation in
the examinations and cordiality to the medical

team.

Findings
INTERVAL MEDICAL HISTORY

Table 3 shows the populations examined in
1965 and 1966. Table 4 showsthe location of the
populations under study, and Table 5 showsthe
percent distribution of the Rongelap population
by age and sex.
llinesses

During the past 2 years the Rongelap people
have been generally in good health, and their
nutritional status appears to have beensatisfactory. An epidemic, believed to have been Asiatic
influenza, with acute upperrespiratory manifestations occurred in about half the populationin the
spring of 1964. Another influenza-like epidemic of
similar proportions occurred in 1965. An outbreak
ofdiarrhea, cause unknown, involved a large segmentof the population during January and Feb-

-

12
ro

¢
.

GF-/O486

oo

Figure 5. Rongelap girl with toys

following annualparty, 1966.

ruary 1965. About 15 cases of chicken pox oc-

Table 3
Numbers of People Examined
During the 11- and 12-Year Surveys
1965

1966

48

49

23

23

108

-

Rongelap and Ailingnae exposed - adults
(age > 19)

Rongelap and Ailinghae exposed - children
(age 11 or 12 to 19)

Rongelap unexposed — adults (age > 19)

Rongelap unexposed - children (age <19)

Children born to exposed parent(s)
(age <11)

Utirik exposed — adults (age > 19)

Utirik exposed - children (age 12 to 19)

83

48

-

-

-

70

35

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curred in the spring of 1965. On Ebeye Island,
where about 100 Rongelap people live, an outbreak of conjunctivitis occurred during the year,
but this respondedto topical antibiotic treatment.
Four children with varying degrees of paralysis,
following a poliomyelitis epedimic in 1963, were
treated andfitted with braces at Majuro. Surgery
was performed on four cataract cases and onefistula in ano. There were 3 deaths in the exposed
group and3 in the unexposed people (see below).
The most outstanding finding since the previous
report has been the increasing numberofcases of
thyroid nodules. By July of 1966, 11 cases had
been operated upon, the first 3 in 1964 at the
Naval Hospital in Guam. The last 8 cases were
brought to the Medica! Research Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory for extensive studies

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