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Although familial clusters of influenza are generally assumed to result from common exposure, some wonder whether a genetic vulnerability to infection also plays a role. Utah researchers correlated the Mormons’ extensive genealogic database with the state’s death certificate registry to investigate this possibility.
Between 1904 and 2004, influenza was a certified cause of death for 4855 individuals with good genealogic information: 1937 (40%) died during the 1918 pandemic and the 2 years afterward; 1293 (27%) died in the decade that followed, and 40 (<1%) died during the 1990s. Risk for death from influenza was considerably higher than expected among first-degree relatives of these individuals, which is consistent with a high likelihood of …