Parasitic worms and race

[Colombia]

I am taking a zoology class and we are studying parasitic worms like hookworm and pinworms. What I read in my labs is that African American people are 10 times less likely to get affected by worms. Now I'm one not to believe that certain pigments denote race, but can someone explain to me why blacks would have more durability against the worms than white people?

[rouchambeau]

I don't think you realize that there is more to race than just skin color.

[redstar2000]

I would take such assertions with a large serving of salt.

How do people acquire "parasitic worms"? What behavior makes them vulnerable? One might well learn that many white people do some dumb things that, as it happens, most black people don't do.

Many scientists, not finding anything useful to investigate, "look for" odd relationships in the hopes of making a career-enhancing "discovery".

People born in the spring or early summer face an increased risk of suicide, UK researchers suggest. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/4955904.stm)

Think there's anything to that one? :lol:

Unless one can demonstrate why one "race" is "more vulnerable" than another, all one really has is a coincidence.

May mean something; may not.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Everyday Anarchy]

I'd definitely take redstar2000's advice on this one. It's probably BS psuedo-science.

Perhaps Africa had a lot of parasitic worms so the natives adapted and became immune? Much like how the Native Americans were more vulnerable to diseases like small pox whereas the Europeans were fine.

[Lord Testicles]

Originally posted by [email protected] 2 2006, 10:32 PM
I don't think you realize that there is more to race than just skin color.
I dont think you realze there is no such thing as race.

[Red Axis]

Quite frankly, they are probably not talking about African Americans, but native Africans, who have most likely built up immunity to it.

[Commie Rat]

Europeans, living in urban area are probably less likely to come into contact with parasties like these, so when they do they do not know the symptoms, the teatment and was of avioding them.
Whilst most africans in Hunter Gathers situtations are more likely to come into contact and so know how to avoid and treat them.

[patrickbeverley]

Originally posted by [email protected] 2 2006, 11:32 PM
I don't think you realize that there is more to race than just skin color.
I thought I'd heard this one for the last time when I got removed from that fascist message board.

It has been science's recent conclusion that, from an objective point of view, there is no such thing as race (http://newcriterion.com/archives/books/04/race-nosuchthing-gross/). Biologically speaking, race cannot be used as an accurate measure of any characteristic - quite simply, skin colour really is all there is to it.

Despite what the charming people of officialprussianblue.net would have me believe.

[RedAnarchist]

We all descend from Africans who migrated across the world many thousands of years ago anyway. Modern day Europeans, for instance, are mostly descended from 10 men and 7 women - basically, there are 7 mitochondrial lineages and 10 y chromosome lineages.

I find the idea of "race" personally repulsive - it is entirely detrimental to all humans to classify us as being of this race or that ethnic group - who does it benefit, apart from the small minority of bigots you find in every town, city and country.

[Mujer Libre]

Originally posted by Commie [email protected] 3 2006, 06:40 AM
Europeans, living in urban area are probably less likely to come into contact with parasties like these, so when they do they do not know the symptoms, the teatment and was of avioding them.
Whilst most africans in Hunter Gathers situtations are more likely to come into contact and so know how to avoid and treat them.
Um, most Africans aren't exactly hunter-gatherers, and haven't been for centuries. Just thought I'd point that out. :huh:

But if this research actually amounts to anything, it's likely to be an environmental adaptation, like the sickle-cell gene is for malaria, as someone earlier in the thread said.

[Janus]

There's probably some immune function perhaps. It's more prevalent in Africa and other developing nations. Also, moderate hookworm infections are somewhat beneficial as shown in recent studies.


The parasites thrive in an environment of dirt, particularly sandy and loamy soil. They cannot exist in clay or muck. The main lines of precaution are those dictated by sanitary science:

Prevent skin/soil contact: do not walk barefoot
Do not defecate outside latrines, toilets etc.
Do not use human excrement or raw sewage as manure/fertilizer in agriculture
Worm pet dogs (canine hookworms cannot develop to adulthood in humans, but can cause an unpleasant rash called cutaneous larva migrans).