Cystic Fibrosis

The most common lethal genetic disease in the United States is cystic fibrosis, which strikes one
out of every 2500 Caucasians. About 1 out of 20 Caucasian people (1), carries at least one of
the fatal defective genes that cause cystic fibrosis, CF, or mucoviscidosis (in Europe) although
carriers don't show any signs of the disease (inherited as recessive disease). Therefore, 10
million people in the United States alone carry the defective gene and are not aware of it
because the dominant gene masks the recessive gene (2). Consequently, it makes it one of the
most common genetic defect in the United States. Cystic Fibrosis is an autosomal recessive
gene. That means that it may, but does not always skip generations. In order to get this
disease, both parents must be carriers. If one parent has CF and the other one is not a carrier
than there is a 100% chance that their child will be a carrier. If one parent has CF and the other
is a carrier than the child has a 50% cha...