Do people who are not of African ancestry get sickle cell disease?
The sickle cell gene is found mainly among African descendents. Individuals who have sickle-cell trait (i.e. only one copy of the faulty gene) are naturally ‘protected’ against the parasite that causes malaria, which is why the gene has ‘survived’ to be passed down through generations. The trait also appears in individuals from the Mediterranean coastal areas and may be seen in those from inter-race backgrounds.
