ABSTRACT
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal inherited condition affecting Caucasians, with an occurrence of ∼1 in 3,000 live births, and it has been estimated that CF gene carrier rates range from 1 in 20-30 of the population. However, the incidence of CF varies considerably across the globe, and differences are also observed in populations with a similar origin, including Northern Europe. Incidence diverges between races and has been estimated as 1 in 4,00010,000 live births in Latin Americans and 1 in 20,000 live births in African Americans, with a much lower incidence reported in people with an Asian background (<1 in 80,000 live births). Furthermore, it was previously thought that a diagnosis of CF was unlikely in some regions of the world, including the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent; however, recently, increasing numbers of patients diagnosed with CF have been identified in these populations.
