[Pyro7480]

Fascinating...

[bikepacker67]

A mutation called delta-32 in the cellular receptor dubbed CCR5 protects against HIV infection, and is found more often in Europeans than other populations.

What do you want to bet this will be used as fodder for the "Whitey invented AIDS to kill the black man" crowd?

[Boardwalk]

Even during the worst plagues there were always those who were immune. Those immune lived life like there was no tomorrow. They must have felt imortal.

[Strategerist]

"This maintenance of hemorrhagic plague provided continuing selection pressure on the mutation

Evolution in action bump....

[TheDon]

There was a pretty detailed documentary on this subject that was aired not too long ago. It was a very involved study to make this discovery. It is odd that more hasn't been made of it.

[yldstrk]

Whoa, that is really bizarre.

[Faraday]

But researchers at the University of Liverpool in England said computer modeling, based on the changing demographics of Europe from 1000 to 1800 AD, showed how hemorrhagic fever forced up the frequency of this mutation from 1 in 20,000 at the time of the Black Death to values today of 1 in 10.

Another example of scientific ignorance from Reuters. Shocking, but consonant with their political ignorance.

[Restorer]

I am skeptical. Plague continued to be endemic and intermittently epidemic in China and India for most of the 20th century. Why would Europeans have developed the highest degree of resistance? Our knowledge of the medieval plagues in Europe compared to other areas of the old world is probably more related to documentation than to prevalence.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

The European plagues from 1347 to 1665 were also a continuing series of hemorrhagic infections caused by a virus that used the CCR5 as an entry port into the immune system, the researchers explain.

That's the answer! A hardware-based firewall to block those ports.

[PeterFinn]

"A mutation called delta-32 in the cellular receptor dubbed CCR5 protects against HIV infection, and is found more often in Europeans than other populations."

God will be called "RACIST!!" by the ACLU and GLAAD any day now.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

"...computer modeling..."

...automatically raises a flag of suspicion with me ever since the global warming computer modeling fiasco.

[lainde]

bttt

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam. Neandertal genes riding to the rescue. ;')

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
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[SunkenCiv]

---

Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic by Gina Kolata

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[staytrue]

"That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger"

[elli1]

But researchers at the University of Liverpool in England said computer modeling, based on the changing demographics of Europe from 1000 to 1800 AD, showed how hemorrhagic fever forced up the frequency of this mutation from 1 in 20,000 at the time of the Black Death to values today of 1 in 10.

Fascinating stuff. At first glance, I took 'changing demographics' to mean that individuals without the gene mutation were weeded out by disease. Thinking about it, there's more to it--changing demographics also led to increased opportunity for exposure to the plague....that is, the growth of villages into cities (in Europe) started around the year 1000. IOW, a population center was a target area & the larger the population, the larger the target. So, large population centers would have functioned to accelerate the natural selection process.