Report of a serological survey of the southern half of Eleuthera Island, Bahamas

ABSTRACT

A serum survey on a 10 percent sample of the population of the south of Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, is described. The survey was intended to give a general picture of the distributions of certain antibodies, blood components, blood pressure and tuberculosis among the islanders. Its purpose has been to help in instituting both clinical facilities and public health measures. The following observations were made 1. V.D.R.L. test showed an overall rate of 12.8 percent positive. The more accurate FTA-200 test for treponemes showed an overall rate of 10.1 percent positive. Although no serologic evidence was found for congenital treponematosis, the authors believe that, because of the high treponemal infection rate in the persons of reproductive age, some small rate of congenital infection exists. 2. Antibodies to all three types of poliovirus were almost universally present in persons over the age of five years. At the time of the survey, no vaccination progamme had been in force in the island. 3. Of the survey population 17.4 percent, 2.2 percent and 0.0 percent had antibodies to Entamoeba histolytica, Trichinella spirallis, and Schistosoma mansoni, respectively. 4. The result of tuberculin tests on children aged 5-19 showed an increasing positive rate with age, reaching 42.3 percent in the 15-19 year group. There was no active tuberculosis detected in a mass X-Ray survey. 5. Hemoglobin levels in both sexes were low when compared with those with U.S. whites. It would appear that there is generalized anemia, particularly apparent in women of child-bearing age. 6. Serum cholesterol levels were low in the range considered normal in the U.S. population. 7. The blood pressure of both sexes was similar to that found in other Negro populations in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the southern U.S., but higher than in comparable white populations (AU)