Assignment_9_B

  1. Carriers of the sickle cell trait experience at high altitude..

"Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is one of the common hemoglobinopathies in the world. It can affect any part of the body and one of the most common and an early organ to be affected in SCA is the spleen. Massive splenic infarction which is arbitrarily defined as infarction involving more than 50% of the spleen size is a rare and unique complication of SCA.[1] In sickle cell trait, large splenic infarcts in the normal sized spleen were reported following exposure to hypoxia during high altitude flights in an unpressurized air planes or during mountain climbing.[2,3]"

  1. Mosquitos can transmit malaria.. distribution: 85-90% in Sub-Saharan Africa
  1. Despite the fact that sickle cell disease shortens life expectancy..Carrier frequency between 10-40% across equatorial Africa
  1. About 1 in 12 African-Americans living in the US are carriers of the SCT.. contrast: 1/100 US-Americans
  1. Why did the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach not allow leading tackler to play game against Denver Broncos?

Denver is located at an high altitude of 5280 feet(one mile high) above sea level

high ground can cause symptoms when person has SCT

tackler probably has SCT

Estimated 3.4 billion people in 92 countries are ! at risk! of being infected with malaria and developing disease, 1.1 billion are at high risk

219 million estimated cases worldwide in 2017

between 2010 and 2017 decrease in

global malaria incidence

-18%

global malaria deaths

-28%

death distribution

children aged under 5 years : 61%

geographical distribution

93 % in WHO African Region

source for additional information

life expectancy of SCD patients

men

42 years

women

48 years

distribution

up to 3 % of newborns in Africa carry it (depending on region)

symptoms of Malaria

high fever and chills

While approximately 100,000 Americans have SCD

1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births develops Sickle Cell Disease

1 in 13 African American babies is born with Sickle cell Trait

VS

Sickle Cell disease(SCD)

Sickle cell trait(SCT)

SCD Costs etc.

1989 - 1993

475 million $

75,000 hospitalizations

only one gene inherited from a parent

does not develop disease

has inherited 2 copies, one from each parent

both parents must have been infected ( evidence in 1)