Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in northern Vietnam

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency was evaluated in 1676 s choolboys in northern Vietnam. The trait was nearly absent in boys of the K inh (0.5%) and the Mong (0.7%) ethnic groups that traditionally have lived outside malaria transmission areas. Prevalences among ethnic groups living in the foothills, the breeding area of the main malaria vector Anopheles mi nimus, ranged from 9.7% to 31%. These findings support the hypothesis of a selective advantage of the trait in Plasmodium falciparum-endemic areas.