Who Is at Risk for Tay-Sachs?
Each year, about 16 cases of Tay-Sachs are diagnosed in the United States. Although Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of central and eastern European descent) are at the highest risk, it is now also prevalent in non-Jewish populations, including people of French-Canadian/Cajun heritage. Some people carry the genetic mutation that causes Tay-Sachs, but do not develop the full-blown disease. Among Ashkenazi Jews, 1 in 27 people are carriers; in the general population, 1 in 250 people are. A child can only have Tay-Sachs disease if both parents are carriers of the gene.
