rate of 8.1 per 1000 population. compared with 8.3
for the comparison population and 6.8 for the

were slightly
e mea n erythrocyte levels
that in 1959 th
elements

These blood
iower in the exposed people.
nthe Ailingnae group also showed someslight
levels but not
depression below the unexposed

Marshall Islands as a whole.

Certain findings were possibly related te» the

Rongelap exposed
quite so marked as seen in the
ted in
wagpot

radiation expasure,such as loss in weight of s@Veral
pounds in most of the people during the first
several monthsafter exposure and suggestive Fidefice of slight lag in growth and dgevelopaient of
the children basedon studies of héight, ‘weight,
and bone development( but ineonclusive pending

ictendency.
group. A general anemic

ed aft u reatosed,
the Marshallese.ae aye
ge, showe : 5Hight
aveta
Price-_ fanes curves,
leyéts were geniron
Serum
microcvuc tendency.
the blodd eleerally normal. The fact that some of
yet,returned
not
have
ments in the exposed group

verification of more eXact agesof some of the

posto the levels in the unexposed group raises the

children).

“gee

In connection with.growth and development studies,

sibility that a residual radiation eff

apmarrow persists, but other, not immediately
involved.
be
may
parent. factors
same
Reticulocyte counts have been about the

a project on the verification of accuracyofages of

Bone marrow exaimgnations on a number of exposed individarals-ap6 months and 3 years post

children must await confirmation.%€ was Hoted,

the children has not been completed and,.therefore, the suggestive evidence previously presented

of possible lag in statural growthia1the-exposed

in the exposed and unexposed people.

however, that in the 6-vear chronolog

exposure showed no"abnormifities orr defisiencies
*
of cellular elements: **

as

Clinical examinations revea

4, we

ne

group, three boys and one, girlgut o
two girls in.she 3

$

2°

dg

age

ihe

sgantly:Wwiatded ske it | inaturation asJpaiged by
" X-rav examiitation™ | » birtHates of these chil-

,

esses or symptoms which could be attributed to
radiation effects, aside from skin lesions, loss of

dren seemed to be fairly well established.
It was difficult to evaluate the effects onfertility.
However, a reviewof the dirth rate of the exposed
group over the past 6 vears seems to indicate no

hair, and earlv symptoms. No specific therapy was

given. Epidemics of chicken pox and measles oc-

curred. The diseases encountered were no more
severe or frequent in the irradiated group than in

noticeable effect of their exposure onfertility. The

the unexposed group. even during the peryod.ok 24 births r@present a rate of 48 per 1000 popula-

greatest depression of peripheral bigéd ele

* uon, co

fared with 37.3 for the Marshall Islands

At 3 vears*px pexpipsure the immune response
to primary apd-ge
ry tetanus antitoxin was

(1957). T
zubirths over a3-year period for the
.
comparisqnape ulationre 5 aane rate of 62 per

lations.

miscarriages gnd stillbirths.
posed women, os,
..

tested and fodndAge tobe significantly different
in the exposed.
ta to the unexposed popu-

Four pers

2

re ¢

ed population died of

Statin

disease: (1) a
3 db-¥ ar- 3 man with a hypertensive
heart diseaséwhich

had been present at the time

of exposure,who died 2 years after the accident;
(2) a 78-year-old man whodied, 3 years after exposure, of coronary heart disease complicating

diabetes; (3) a 36-year-old man who died of acute

ne

gresieer incidespe-af

in the

; f : ascularsurvey of the adults (188 i J is
ie
“Betw r4hee
ietan di ithflere

angf@gacxpos
s. The peogeedapper
have less hyvera on
wiiedtthan ivcougl .

varicella, + years after exposure, who hadreceived

imperate fn the contine

the fallout; and (4)a Wear-olc
Yan who died
of a cancerof théjfygues@i 5 veargaafeer exposure.

people, and about the same incidenceas is seen in

onlv 69 r, having been on Ailin

There was no

t the time of” °

Agent relationship between any

of these deaths and radiation exposure. Four

deaths have occurred in the comparison popula-

tion. The four deaths that have occurred in the
exposed people since exposure represent a mortality

United States.

=

An arthritis survey (1959) showed no greatdifferences between the exposed and the unexposed

American populations.
Ophthalmological surveys showed no remarkable
differences between the exposed and unexposed
groups except possibly a slightly greater number
of cases of pterygii, pingueculae, and cornealscars

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