Biologists Discover Why 10 Percent Of Europeans Are Safe From HIV Infection

[Supreme Cmdr]

At least according to the brainiacs at the University Of Liverpool

[LostInSpace]

quote:

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Originally posted by nomad:

Most interesting. However, I am puzzled about the following excerpt:

Professor Duncan commented: "The fact that the CCR5-delta 32 mutation is restricted to Europe suggests that the plagues of the Middle Ages played a big part in raising the frequency of the mutation. These plagues were also confined to Europe, persisted for more than 300 years and had a 100% case mortality."

If, as it was effectively the case, these plagues caused 100% mortality, how was the reprogramming of the ADN transmitted from generation to generation if all those who were infected died ? There must be some residual survivors that aren't taken into account in the statistics to explain this...

If 10% europeans exhibit the mutation, then maybe it could be possible to make an inverse extrapolation and approximately find out how may cases must have survived during these 300 years given current and past demographics.

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The way I'm reading the passage and the entire article (and based on my knowlege of dna) is that the plague did not alter the DNA directly but that those who already had the mutation survived and those without didn't and in turn allowed the people with the mutation to spread their gene's more readily since there was a major decline in the non-mutated population.

But of course, the article does not take into account villages and towns that isolated themselves during these outbreaks which is why the non-resistant gene type has survived today.

[Matchoo]

So does this mean a portion of the U.S. population who's ancestors migrated here from Europe are also safe from HIV? (Or is there also something in their drinking water that is required?)

[Guest]

centuries of exposure to the French has raised the CCR5-delta in the rest of Europe. Of course, the French acquired the CCR5-delta after the many times it was invaded in the following centuries thus gaining the immunity.

This also explains Barbara Streissand and why Canadians seem immune to her music.