Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Medicine and Disease: An Overview
- Part II Changing Concepts of Health and Disease
- Part III Medical Specialties and Disease Prevention
- Part IV Measuring Health
- Part V The History of Human Disease in the World Outside Asia
- Part VI The History of Human Disease in Asia
- Part VII The Geography of Human Disease
- Part VIII Major Human Diseases Past and Present
- VIII.1 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- VIII.2 African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)
- VIII.3 Ainhum
- VIII.4 Alzheimer’s Disease
- VIII.5 Amebic Dysentery
- VIII.6 Anemia
- VIII.7 Anorexia Nervosa
- VIII.8 Anthrax
- VIII.9 Apoplexy and Stroke
- VIII.10 Arboviruses
- VIII.11 Arenaviruses
- VIII.12 Arthritis (Rheumatoid)
- VIII.13 Ascariasis
- VIII.14 Bacillary Dysentery
- VIII.15 Beriberi
- VIII.16 Black Death
- VIII.17 Black and Brown Lung Disease
- VIII.18 Bleeding Disorders
- VIII.19 Botulism
- VIII.20 Brucellosis
- VIII.21 Bubonic Plague
- VIII.22 Carrión’s Disease
- VIII.23 Catarrh
- VIII.24 Cestode Infections
- VIII.25 Chagas’ Disease
- VIII.26 Chlorosis
- VIII.27 Cholera
- VIII.28 Cirrhosis
- VIII.29 Clonorchiasis
- VIII.30 Croup
- VIII.31 Cystic Fibrosis
- VIII.32 Cytomegalovirus Infection
- VIII.33 Dengue
- VIII.34 Diabetes
- VIII.35 Diarrheal Diseases (Acute)
- VIII.36 Diphtheria
- VIII.37 Down Syndrome
- VIII.38 Dracunculiasis
- VIII.39 Dropsy
- VIII.40 Dysentery
- VIII.41 Dyspepsia
- VIII.42 Ebola Virus Disease
- VIII.43 Echinococcosis (Hydatidosis)
- VIII.44 Eclampsia
- VIII.45 Emphysema
- VIII.46 Encephalitis Lethargica
- VIII.47 Enterobiasis
- VIII.48 Epilepsy
- VIII.49 Ergotism
- VIII.50 Erysipelas
- VIII.51 Fascioliasis
- VIII.52 Fasciolopsiasis
- VIII.53 Favism
- VIII.54 Filariasis
- VIII.55 Fungus Infections (Mycoses)
- VIII.56 Fungus Poisoning
- VIII.57 Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)
- VIII.58 Gangrene
- VIII.59 Giardiasis
- VIII.60 Glomerulonephritis (Bright’s Disease)
- VIII.61 Goiter
- VIII.62 Gonorrhea
- VIII.63 Gout
- VIII.64 Herpes Simplex
- VIII.65 Herpesviruses
- VIII.66 Histoplasmosis
- VIII.67 Hookworm Disease
- VIII.68 Huntington’s Disease (Chorea)
- VIII.69 Hypertension
- VIII.70 Infectious Hepatitis
- VIII.71 Infectious Mononucleosis
- VIII.72 Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- VIII.73 Influenza
- VIII.74 Japanese B Encephalitis
- VIII.75 Lactose Intolerance and Malabsorption
- VIII.76 Lassa Fever
- VIII.77 Lead Poisoning
- VIII.78 Legionnaires’ Disease
- VIII.79 Leishmaniasis
- VIII.80 Leprosy
- VIII.81 Leptospirosis
- VIII.82 Leukemia
- VIII.83 Lupus Erythematosus
- VIII.84 Lyme Borreliosis (Lyme Disease)
- VIII.85 Malaria
- VIII.86 Marburg Virus Disease
- VIII.87 Mastoiditis
- VIII.88 Measles
- VIII.89 Meningitis
- VIII.90 Milk Sickness (Tremetol Poisoning)
- VIII.91 Multiple Sclerosis
- VIII.92 Mumps
- VIII.93 Muscular Dystrophy
- VIII.94 Myasthenia Gravis
- VIII.95 Nematode Infections
- VIII.96 Onchocerciasis
- VIII.97 Ophthalmia (Conjunctivitis and Trachoma)
- VIII.98 Osteoarthritis
- VIII.99 Osteoporosis
- VIII.100 Paget’s Disease of Bone
- VIII.101 Paragonimiasis
- VIII.102 Parkinson’s Disease
- VIII.103 Pellagra
- VIII.104 Periodontal Disease (Pyorrhea)
- VIII.105 Pica
- VIII.106 Pinta
- VIII.107 Plague of Athens
- VIII.108 Pneumocystis Pneumonia (Interstitial Plasma Cell Pneumonia, Pneumocystosis)
- VIII.109 Pneumonia
- VIII.110 Poliomyelitis
- VIII.111 Protein-Energy Malnutrition
- VIII.112 Protozoan Infections
- VIII.113 Puerperal Fever
- VIII.114 Q Fever
- VIII.115 Rabies
- VIII.116 Relapsing Fever
- VIII.117 Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease
- VIII.118 Rickets and Osteomalacia
- VIII.119 Rickettsial Diseases
- VIII.120 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Spotted Fever Group Diseases
- VIII.121 Rubella
- VIII.122 St. Anthony’s Fire
- VIII.123 Scarlet Fever
- VIII.124 Schistosomiasis
- VIII.125 Scrofula (Scrophula)
- VIII.126 Scurvy
- VIII.127 Sickle-Cell Anemia
- VIII.128 Smallpox
- VIII.129 Streptococcal Diseases
- VIII.130 Strongyloidiasis
- VIII.131 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- VIII.132 Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (Asian)
- VIII.133 Sweating Sickness
- VIII.134 Syphilis
- VIII.135 Syphilis, Nonvenereal
- VIII.136 Tapeworm
- VIII.137 Tay-Sachs Disease
- VIII.138 Tetanus
- VIII.139 Tetanus, Neonatal
- VIII.140 Tetany
- VIII.141 Toxoplasmosis
- VIII.142 Trematode Infections
- VIII.143 Trench Fever
- VIII.144 The Treponematoses
- VIII.145 Trichinosis
- VIII.146 Trichuriasis
- VIII.147 Tuberculosis
- VIII.148 Tularemia
- VIII.149 Typhoid Fever
- VIII.150 Typhomalarial Fever
- VIII.151 Typhus, Epidemic
- VIII.152 Typhus, Murine
- VIII.153 Typhus, Scrub (Tsutsugamushi)
- VIII.154 Urolithiasis (Renal and Urinary Bladder Stone Disease)
- VIII.155 Varicella Zoster
- VIII.156 Whooping Cough
- VIII.157 Yaws
- VIII.158 Yellow Fever
- Indexes
- References
VIII.53 - Favism
from Part VIII - Major Human Diseases Past and Present
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
By
Edited by
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Medicine and Disease: An Overview
- Part II Changing Concepts of Health and Disease
- Part III Medical Specialties and Disease Prevention
- Part IV Measuring Health
- Part V The History of Human Disease in the World Outside Asia
- Part VI The History of Human Disease in Asia
- Part VII The Geography of Human Disease
- Part VIII Major Human Diseases Past and Present
- VIII.1 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- VIII.2 African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)
- VIII.3 Ainhum
- VIII.4 Alzheimer’s Disease
- VIII.5 Amebic Dysentery
- VIII.6 Anemia
- VIII.7 Anorexia Nervosa
- VIII.8 Anthrax
- VIII.9 Apoplexy and Stroke
- VIII.10 Arboviruses
- VIII.11 Arenaviruses
- VIII.12 Arthritis (Rheumatoid)
- VIII.13 Ascariasis
- VIII.14 Bacillary Dysentery
- VIII.15 Beriberi
- VIII.16 Black Death
- VIII.17 Black and Brown Lung Disease
- VIII.18 Bleeding Disorders
- VIII.19 Botulism
- VIII.20 Brucellosis
- VIII.21 Bubonic Plague
- VIII.22 Carrión’s Disease
- VIII.23 Catarrh
- VIII.24 Cestode Infections
- VIII.25 Chagas’ Disease
- VIII.26 Chlorosis
- VIII.27 Cholera
- VIII.28 Cirrhosis
- VIII.29 Clonorchiasis
- VIII.30 Croup
- VIII.31 Cystic Fibrosis
- VIII.32 Cytomegalovirus Infection
- VIII.33 Dengue
- VIII.34 Diabetes
- VIII.35 Diarrheal Diseases (Acute)
- VIII.36 Diphtheria
- VIII.37 Down Syndrome
- VIII.38 Dracunculiasis
- VIII.39 Dropsy
- VIII.40 Dysentery
- VIII.41 Dyspepsia
- VIII.42 Ebola Virus Disease
- VIII.43 Echinococcosis (Hydatidosis)
- VIII.44 Eclampsia
- VIII.45 Emphysema
- VIII.46 Encephalitis Lethargica
- VIII.47 Enterobiasis
- VIII.48 Epilepsy
- VIII.49 Ergotism
- VIII.50 Erysipelas
- VIII.51 Fascioliasis
- VIII.52 Fasciolopsiasis
- VIII.53 Favism
- VIII.54 Filariasis
- VIII.55 Fungus Infections (Mycoses)
- VIII.56 Fungus Poisoning
- VIII.57 Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)
- VIII.58 Gangrene
- VIII.59 Giardiasis
- VIII.60 Glomerulonephritis (Bright’s Disease)
- VIII.61 Goiter
- VIII.62 Gonorrhea
- VIII.63 Gout
- VIII.64 Herpes Simplex
- VIII.65 Herpesviruses
- VIII.66 Histoplasmosis
- VIII.67 Hookworm Disease
- VIII.68 Huntington’s Disease (Chorea)
- VIII.69 Hypertension
- VIII.70 Infectious Hepatitis
- VIII.71 Infectious Mononucleosis
- VIII.72 Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- VIII.73 Influenza
- VIII.74 Japanese B Encephalitis
- VIII.75 Lactose Intolerance and Malabsorption
- VIII.76 Lassa Fever
- VIII.77 Lead Poisoning
- VIII.78 Legionnaires’ Disease
- VIII.79 Leishmaniasis
- VIII.80 Leprosy
- VIII.81 Leptospirosis
- VIII.82 Leukemia
- VIII.83 Lupus Erythematosus
- VIII.84 Lyme Borreliosis (Lyme Disease)
- VIII.85 Malaria
- VIII.86 Marburg Virus Disease
- VIII.87 Mastoiditis
- VIII.88 Measles
- VIII.89 Meningitis
- VIII.90 Milk Sickness (Tremetol Poisoning)
- VIII.91 Multiple Sclerosis
- VIII.92 Mumps
- VIII.93 Muscular Dystrophy
- VIII.94 Myasthenia Gravis
- VIII.95 Nematode Infections
- VIII.96 Onchocerciasis
- VIII.97 Ophthalmia (Conjunctivitis and Trachoma)
- VIII.98 Osteoarthritis
- VIII.99 Osteoporosis
- VIII.100 Paget’s Disease of Bone
- VIII.101 Paragonimiasis
- VIII.102 Parkinson’s Disease
- VIII.103 Pellagra
- VIII.104 Periodontal Disease (Pyorrhea)
- VIII.105 Pica
- VIII.106 Pinta
- VIII.107 Plague of Athens
- VIII.108 Pneumocystis Pneumonia (Interstitial Plasma Cell Pneumonia, Pneumocystosis)
- VIII.109 Pneumonia
- VIII.110 Poliomyelitis
- VIII.111 Protein-Energy Malnutrition
- VIII.112 Protozoan Infections
- VIII.113 Puerperal Fever
- VIII.114 Q Fever
- VIII.115 Rabies
- VIII.116 Relapsing Fever
- VIII.117 Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease
- VIII.118 Rickets and Osteomalacia
- VIII.119 Rickettsial Diseases
- VIII.120 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Spotted Fever Group Diseases
- VIII.121 Rubella
- VIII.122 St. Anthony’s Fire
- VIII.123 Scarlet Fever
- VIII.124 Schistosomiasis
- VIII.125 Scrofula (Scrophula)
- VIII.126 Scurvy
- VIII.127 Sickle-Cell Anemia
- VIII.128 Smallpox
- VIII.129 Streptococcal Diseases
- VIII.130 Strongyloidiasis
- VIII.131 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- VIII.132 Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (Asian)
- VIII.133 Sweating Sickness
- VIII.134 Syphilis
- VIII.135 Syphilis, Nonvenereal
- VIII.136 Tapeworm
- VIII.137 Tay-Sachs Disease
- VIII.138 Tetanus
- VIII.139 Tetanus, Neonatal
- VIII.140 Tetany
- VIII.141 Toxoplasmosis
- VIII.142 Trematode Infections
- VIII.143 Trench Fever
- VIII.144 The Treponematoses
- VIII.145 Trichinosis
- VIII.146 Trichuriasis
- VIII.147 Tuberculosis
- VIII.148 Tularemia
- VIII.149 Typhoid Fever
- VIII.150 Typhomalarial Fever
- VIII.151 Typhus, Epidemic
- VIII.152 Typhus, Murine
- VIII.153 Typhus, Scrub (Tsutsugamushi)
- VIII.154 Urolithiasis (Renal and Urinary Bladder Stone Disease)
- VIII.155 Varicella Zoster
- VIII.156 Whooping Cough
- VIII.157 Yaws
- VIII.158 Yellow Fever
- Indexes
- References
Summary
Favism is an acute hemolytic reaction triggered by exposure either to fava beans (Vicia faba) or to certain drugs (e.g., sulfa-based antibiotics and the antimalarial primaquine) in people with an inherited deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). In favism, the patient can suffer from destruction of red blood cells, severe anemia, and possibly death. There are two necessary conditions for the disease: (1) genetic inheritance of the “Mediterranean” variant of the abnormal gene trait for G6PD deficiency; and (2) ingestion of fava beans, usually fresh, or exposure to some drugs. The bean is a dietary staple in areas where favism is reported. Only an estimated 20 percent of those with the genetic trait for G6PD are likely to experience episodes of favism. Under modern medical conditions the hemolytic anemia caused by favism is only rarely fatal. Strong evidence suggests that both the gene for G6PD deficiency and the cultural practice of fava bean consumption are evolutionarily adaptive traits that protect against death from all types of malaria. Favism, then, could be described as a negative outcome of the interaction of the positive adaptive qualities of both the gene and the bean.
Distribution and Incidence
Favism is found primarily in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions where fava beans are a staple food and the Mediterranean variant of G6PD deficiency gene is relatively common. Mark Belsey (1973) reports that it is frequently encountered in Greece, Sardinia, Italy, Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Algeria, and Bulgaria, and is particularly common among Sephardic Jews.
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge World History of Human Disease , pp. 722 - 724Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993
References
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, , and . 1969. Favism: Clinical and biochemical data. Journal of Medical Genetics 6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
, and . 1979. Fava bean consumption and biocultural evolution. Medical Anthropology 3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, and . 1966. Favism in the Caspian littoral area. In Proceedings of the first seminar on favism in Iran. Teheran.Google Scholar
1969. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient red cells: Resistance to infection by malarial parasites. Science 164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed