[Aztlan] Mexico's Flu Epidemic & Possible Maya Correlation

[MICHAEL FINLEY]

John Pastore wrote:

"What I find surprising about today's release of the "Mexican 
Genetic Diversity Project" is its being publicized as if it unique
and had just occurred in response to Mexico's flu outbreak when it 
could just be a derivative of the "prior" studies that you refer to 
below.

In any case, by itself any genetic relation of the virus to Mexican 
populations without comparative reports on just what the fatality 
incidence from the virus is to Mexican populations outside of 
Mexico City, there can be no real determination. . . ."


Thankyou, John for this informative response.  I also thought it was interesting that the story focussed on possible application of the genetic study to the 'flu outbreak, when in fact the relevance is small. I'm afraid this is evidence of the current tendency to reduce everything to genes.  Genetic studies like the one reported are interesting and useful, but it's really quite disturbing when the immediate emphasis is placed on genetic factors rather than environmental, even when  the environmental  factors are, as in this case,  very obvious.   Of course, the slant in the article is probably a journalistic rather than scientific contribution, but the fact that genetic reductionalism has leverage with the public reflects and exaggerates a vogue for sexy genetic explanations in the biosciences.