16
Duringthe interval between the 1959 and 1960
surveys the medical history of the people on Rongelap Island was generally uneventful. However,
an epidemic of influenza occurred in the Marshall
posed groups, compared with that for the Marshall Islands as a whole in 1948-50 and for the
United States in 1940. The table also shows the
median ages. The lower median age of the Marshallese would seem to support the impression that
Islands in the spring of 1960, and, though Ronge-
_ their life span is shorter than that in the continen-
lap Atoll was spared, the epidemic reachedserious
proportions on Kwajalein Atoll. About 20 of the
unexposed Rongelap contro! population hadpreviously moved to Kwajalein Atoll for employment
by the Navy, and amongthis group 10 cases of
influenza developed, two of which became complicated by pneumoniaresulting in death - one in
a 55-year-old man (933) and the otherin a 64year-old man (#927). Both these men had complicating diseases prior to influenza; one had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage with hemiplegia several monthsearlier, and the other a urinarytract
tal United States.
Duringthe interval between the surveys of 1958
and 1959 the people of Rongelap suffered no
major epidemics. There were the usual bouts of
upperrespiratory infections. A few cases of chicken
pox developed in April 1958, two of greatseverity,
one of which resulted in the death of a 36-year-old
man(331) from the exposed group. During the
year Navy evacuation planes removed these two
cases to Kwajalein Hospital (150 miles away) for
treatment, andalso the following cases: perforated
infection. The 61-year-old woman with cancerof
the ovary, discovered in 1958, died in May 1959.
appendix, threatened abortion, retained placenta,
complicated delivery, pyelonephritis, and acute
diarrhea. Three of these patients were in the ex-
Unfortunately, no autopsies were obtained on
these people. This brings the deaths to four for
the exposed population. One other death occurred
in the unexposed control population on Rongelap,
* that ofp’‘$4-year-gld woman (7854) whodied of
posed group. Fourcasesoffish poisoning occurred
during the year with the usual symptomsof nau-
sea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, double vision, and
tingling sensations in the limbs. Cancer of the
ovary was found in a 61-year-old woman in the
exposed group, and the diagnosis was confirmed
-jnfection complicating diabetes. The deaths in the
unexposed population now numberfour. Only
ane case of fishpoisoning occurred in 1959 on
by biopsy.
Year
1954**
Women aged
14-45
19
1955
20
1957
21
1956
1958
1959
20
22
22
Total
Table 3
.
Yearly Incidence of Barths and Fetal Deaths*
_.
Total
births
1
0
6
4
14
8
6
5
5
24
8
6
1958
18
4
3
1959
Total
17
6
26
Miscarriages*
-
a
5
6
= ge.
5
meee]
20
10
“me
“Includes children dying duringfirst few hours after birth.
**Includes only children conceived after March 1, 1954.
100
2
"33
3
17
.
_ 60
aes 43
tinge 0
AS PS ORS oe
a
7
miscarriage
1
0
:
Pregnancies
terminating in
1
6
5
37
8
ie
mo
F
2
18
18
M
3
1956
1957
Children
———_—_—
Live
pregnancies
ie
“FSR, 2
ge
“4
10
:
tl
I
6
25
25
25
17