Global distribution of Thalassemia=Thal., sickle cell and its types : thal alpha, thal beta.

This map comes from http://www.kidsnewtocanada.ca/conditions/thalassemia

Thalassemia has found in people whose ethnic background are from the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, Asian Subcontinent, Southern China and even Southeast Asia.In view of population migration,the distribution of the Thalassemia genes appears to be worldwide and to affect every ethnic group.  It is common in these regions because it helps to protect carriers against malaria.  The Red blood cell phenotype confers some protection against malaria.  Thalassemia is a characteristic of the blood.  It is inherited and passed on from parents to children, like hair color, eye color or skin color.  It is passed equally by men and women.  So if the parents carry that defect genes, 25% chance  a child will inherit thalassemia from both parents.

  It is not catching and will not turn into an illness.It affects the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is the protein in the red blood cell that carries oxygen to every part of the body. Hemoglobin
is made up of different building blocks called the beta (β)-globin chains and the alpha (α)-globin chains.  Therefor the shape of  RBC in thalassemia will be diffrent and like sickle, not as usual, and that why Thalassemia has another term"sickle cell".

What is the diagnosis of thalassemia in Ontario and symptoms?

newborn screening:These are routine tests done shortly after birth on every baby born in Ontario. A small sample of blood is taken from your baby and is tested for rare treatable disease.The sickle cell or Thalassemia one of them.  If the baby has positive thalassemia newborn screening result, it does not mean the baby has it but very likely has it.  More testing is needed to confirm the diagnosis.
 Symptoms include weakness, fatigue, feeling faint, shortness of breath, paleness, frequent infections, poor appetite,bone problems, and enlarged organs.
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