Relationships of Permafrost to Sanitation— Alter 241 



Need for Environmental Health Control Measures in the 



Permafrost Regions 



Occurrence of the so-called filthborne diseases in permafrost 

 regions is a well established fact. During the period 1937 to 

 date in 1950 typhoid fever has been reported each calendar 

 year in Alaska. Population in Alaska during this period has 

 been between 75,000 and 130,000; yet, as many as 21 cases in a 

 single year have been reported. Cases (26) have been reported 

 from all regions of Alaska from the most northern point to the 

 southern end of the Territory. Probably many cases of typhoid 

 have not been reported. Inaccuracies are common in morbidity 

 and mortality data obtained from primitive populations. 

 Medical attention has been scanty in many of these areas and 

 the reasons for gathering such information have not been ap- 

 parent to either the natives or local whites. 



Three hundred twelve cases of bacillary dysentery were also 

 reported from Alaska during the calendar years 1937 through 

 1949. Fevers resembling typhoid have been described in Green- 

 land since 1839 (6). In 1864, Lange reported that epidemics 

 of typhoid fever are not rare in Greenland. Bertelsen reports 

 treatment of significant numbers of patients for typhoid in 

 Greenland shortly after 1902. In 1916, Andersen at Sukker- 

 toppen, Greenland, isolated the typhoid bacillus, and cultures 

 were identified at the Danish State Serum Institute in Copen- 

 hagen. During the period 1928 through 1930, reports from 

 Greenland indicated the occurrence of 88 cases of typhoid fever 

 in a population of 9,455. 



It is apparent from these data that permafrost and the low 

 temperatures that are common to these regions do not in them- 

 selves tend to suppress the occurrence of filthborne diseases 

 such as typhoid and bacillary dysentery. The high incidence of 

 filthborne disease in the permafrost regions has long been 

 known. 



Physical Features of Permafrost 



Permafrost in the northern hemisphere is found in a great 

 part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Alaska, the 



