Your ability to deal with the flu may come from your DNA.
As our scientific prowess has developed, we are making revolutionary findings about the world and ourselves in the process. Science and anthropology have taught us that our ancestry is a unique combination of several ancient species that lived alongside one another.
How can our long-lost DNA affect our ability to handle the flu?
What makes us the same also keeps us separate, say scientists
Through the efforts of decades of scientific study, we know that humans are 99% the same, no matter where you come from.
But it’s that last 1% that makes us unique and different from one another. Out of the nearly 3 billion letters in your genome, roughly 3 million are what make you different from the person sitting next to you.
While we know that our lineage stems from apes, what you might not be aware of is that your DNA is about 60% the same as a banana’s.
And what separates us can be a lifesaver in some cases. A specific mutation, mostly found in Northern Europeans, allows a small percentage of the population to deal with diseases and infections much more easily than others.
Your DNA may hold the key to dealing with this year’s flu season
This year saw winter showing its full might across the nation.
Several states, particularly on the East side of the nation, saw record-breaking winter weather this year. Snow covered states in a blizzard that caused the region to come to a complete standstill.
And the annual flu season was underway, showing no mercy and holding no favor.
But recent findings in caves around the world have shown the anthropology community that some of us were born with a unique mutation that allowed us to deal with cold weather better than others.
We have learnt about the Homo Naledi discovery in a cave in South Africa, proving that our ancestors interbred to form new lines of DNA that we see now.
A recent discovery published in the Institut Pasteur has explained how some of us can avert flu season, thanks to an ancient line of DNA that was found by a team of researchers.
Neanderthal DNA may be the reason you didn’t get sick this flu season
Thanks to the world of anthropology, we have learned that some of our most unique and beneficial traits may have come from a “breakaway” in our DNA.
Genetic mutations can account for many of humans’ special abilities or traits. We now understand that thousands of years ago, Neanderthals and Denisovans were interbreeding, which led to the modern human immune system.
A new discovery has shed light on the fact that, through the interbreeding of Neanderthals and Denisovans, our DNA created our very first line of defense.
The pair of early human species lived in exceedingly cold weather, and could stave off the world of bacteria and infections that led to what we know as the flu. The study found this unique mutation in several of our genomes, namely TLR1, TLR6, and TLR10.
A special evolutionary advantage that some are reaping the benefits of now
This unique genome provided an immunity boost for Neanderthals as they were already well-adapted to local pathogens. So if you are one of the few people who simply don’t get the flu, you can most likely thank your ancient Neanderthal cousins for that.
But for every good side, a negative exists. We now know that Neanderthal DNA can affect how your skin reacts to sunlight.
Scientists have noted that while this unique gene allowed Neanderthals and some of us further down the line to keep the flu at bay, it may have created immune systems that were far more “sensitive” and prone to overreacting.
Are you one of the lucky few with this unique ability?