ARCTIC EPIDEMIOLOGY 



goes for the enteroviruses which Dr. Reinhard will discuss shortly. 

 As a group, respiratory afflictions, both viral and bacterial, are 

 very important, and of course are spread by contact. In terms of 

 mortality for Alaskan natives in 1960, influenza and pneumonia 

 ranked second only to accidents. Tuberculosis and bronchitis were 

 also among the first 10 causes of death (Alaska Health Dept.j 1961). 



Thus, we may conclude that while the variety of infectious agents 

 is limited, the organisms are, in general, very similar to human 

 pathogens isolated elsewhere. With regard to transmission, short 

 chain person- to- person spread appears at present to be more im- 

 portant than disseminationby vector or vehicle. 



Because muchdetailed attention will be given toagents of disease, 

 I would now like to mention a few factors involving the host. 



SOME HOST FACTORS IN DISEASE OF ARCTIC POPULATIONS 



Disease in any population may be described in terms of certain 

 host characteristics. One of these is the race or ethnic background 

 of the people under study. At least until very recently, tuberculosis 

 in Eskimos has behaved rather differently than itdoes in Caucasians. 

 Prevalence was high, and as of 19 57, 30 per cent of adults living in 

 the Yukon- Kuskokwim delta region of Alaska had X-ray evidence of 

 past or current pulmonary involvement (Comstock, 19 59). The 

 disease ran a much more acute, often fulminating course, with many 

 extrapulmonary lesions (Schaefer, 19 59), It is interesting to note 

 that Negros in continental United States used to exhibit a similar 

 response to tuberculosis (Pinner, 19 32), as did Senegalese troops 

 during World War I, living in the same military environment as 

 their French cohorts (Borrel, 1920). 



Of course it is often difficult to differentiate between innate host 

 factors of resistance and environment as it influences exposure, 

 particularly when we study human populations. However, Lurie has 

 shown significant family variations in tuberculosis susceptibility 



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