UNCLASSIFIED
|
Biclegy and Medicine
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE ~ MARCH 1964.
Medical Survey of the Rongelap People
In March 1964, a combined Atomic Energy Commission and Trust
Territory medical team carried out the annual survey of the people of
Rongelap Island, 10 years after their accidental exposure tc fallout
rediation, Dr. T. Kumatori of the National Institute of Radiological
Sciences, Chiba, Japan, who is in charge of the annual medical examinaticns of the Lucky Dragon fishermen involved in the same accident as the
Marshallese, visited Rongelap for the survey. Dr, Robert Conard of
Brookhaven National Laboratory, N.Y., who heads the AEC medical team,
hac visited Dr. Kumatori in Japan for examination of the exposed
Japanese Fishermen prior to the Rongelap surveye
The following statement concerning the results of the survey
a. Rongelap must be ccnsidered as preliminary in nature since most of
the cata collected have yet to be analyzed:
DOE ARCHIVES
"During the past year, the people have been well
with no major disease epidemics, The poliomyelitis epidemic
which cccurred during the 1963 survey has been controlled
‘with no further spread of the disease. The usual number of
cases of upper respiratory infecticrs and gastroenteritis
were reported, A 108 year cid exposed woman diec, pre
surably from senility. The usual nember cf normal births in
both exposed and unexposed grcups were noted.”
The examinations of the people revealed that they were generally
2-2 geod health with ne apparent nutritional deficiencies. No evidence
of cancer or leukemia was detected.
Slight retardation of growth and
csvelopment was again noted in some of the exposed children, particularly
.
of
avs who were exposed at less than six years of age.
Thyroid nodules
Jnd in three exposed girls are being further evaluated,
There were nce
inesses that cculd be directly related te radiation expcsure. Healed
La. tiout burns of the skin, present in a number of people, showed no sign
of ulceration or malignancy, although pigmenced changes such as rsvusii:ke moles were noted, Analysis of blood counts must be awaited to see
iz the slight depression of blood counts previously noted still psrsistse
Measurements of body burden of internally deposited radioisotopes will
be estimated from urine samples obtained from the pecple.
It is planned
to take equipment to Rengelap in 1965 to make direct body measurement of
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