A SURVEY OF HISTOPLASMIN SENSITIVITY IN IRAQ

During the past two decades much has appeared in the medical literature concerning systemic fungus diseases, the reports originating from many areas of the world. None of the reports, however, deals specifically with the existence, prevalence, and distribution of histoplasmosis in Iraq, and a survey was therefore undertaken in 1963 to determine the level of histoplasmin sensitivity in that country. In this survey, 1715 persons, whose ages ranged from under one year to 76 years and who were representative of the whole country, were given a histoplasmin skin-test and a chest X-ray. The majority of the 1461 persons whose tests could be read were non-reactors and the nine (0.6%) positive reactors showed no clinical manifestation of the disease. The authors therefore conclude that histoplasmosis is probably not present in Iraq, or exists at such a low level that it has no public health significance.