| high incidence of malaria in alpha-thalassaemic children. | the alpha+-thalassaemias are the commonest known human genetic disorders, affecting up to 80 per cent of some populations. although there is good evidence from both epidemiological and clinical studies that these gene frequencies reflect selection by, and protection from, malaria, the mechanism is unknown. we have studied the epidemiology of malaria in childhood on the southwestern pacific island of espiritu santo in vanuatu and here we report that, paradoxically, both the incidence of uncomplic ... | 1996 | 8849722 |