VISAKHAPATNAM: Sickle Cell, an inherited disorder of red blood cells, is prevailing fast in the tribal belts of Visakhapatnam district and the experts blame it on the established social practice of consanguineous marriage.
The professors in the Department of Human Genetics of Andhra University who have been studying the disease for more than 20 years, say that lack of awareness among tribal communities is the cause for the prevalence of the disease.
The King George Hospital (KGH) in Vizag city receives, at least six children under 12 years of age suffering from sickle cell anaemia every month and the researchers at the Department of Human Genetics of AU, citing their study, say that most of the cases are from Araku, Paderu, Chintapalle and other areas in the Vizag Agency.
Sickle Cell is a group of disorders that affects haemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. The patients have atypical haemoglobin molecules called haemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle or crescent shape.
The red blood cells break down prematurely, leading to anaemia with fatigue, delayed growth and organ damage especially in lungs, kidneys, spleen, and brain as the repercussions. In extreme cases, pulmonary hypertension occurs which can lead to heart failure.The consanguineous marriage of two individuals who are related as second cousins or closer is an established social practice in the tribal belts which triggers Sickle Cell, says the AU researchers.
“People suffering from Sickle Cell have two more genes and that’s how, the carriers are passed on to the next generation. The problem is found more in people living in the tribal belt as they restrict their marital alliances among their communities, marrying off the children to their relatives. In the recent time, the disease is also seen in rural areas where traits are found within the families since generations,” says M Ramesh, assistant professor in the Department of Human Genetics, AU.
Though there is no cure yet, there are advanced techniques to identify the disease at very early stage but is yet to happen in Andhra Pradesh, he adds.
What is Sickle Cell?
Sickle Cell is a group of disorders that affects haemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. The patients have atypical haemoglobin molecules called haemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a crescent shape.
Symptoms
Pain in chest, abdomen and joints
Painful swelling of hands and feet
Frequent infections
Fever
Pale skin
Yellow tint to the skin
Reper-cussions
Anaemia
fatigue
Delayed growth
Damage of lungs, kidneys, spleen, and brain
Pulmonary hypert-ension