Hemoglobin E - Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Hemoglobin E is most prevalent in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam), where its prevalence can reach 30 or 40%, and North-East India, where in certain areas carrier rates reach 60% of the population. In Thailand the mutation can reach 50 or 70%, and it is higher in the North-East of the country. It is also found in China, the Philippines, Turkey, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, etc. The mutation is estimated to have arisen within the last 5,000 years. In Europe there have been found cases of families with hemoglobin E, but in these cases, the mutation differs from the one found in South-East Asia. This means that there may be different origins of the βE mutation.