Who most commonly gets the disease?
CF occurs in approximately one of every 3,500 live births in America. According to the 2004 Patient Registry, 95.3 percent of CF cases were in Caucasians, 6.7 percent were in Hispanics and 4 percent were in African Americans. CF is uncommon in Asians and most Native Americans. CF occurs equally in males and females.
More than 80 percent of patients are diagnosed by the age of three. However, nearly 10 percent of all newly-diagnosed cases are age 18 or older.
How is it transmitted?
CF is a genetic disease. You cannot "catch" it; you are born with it. In order for a child to have CF, both parents must be carriers of the CF gene. [There are genetic tests available to determine if you are a carrier]. But even if both parents are carriers of the gene, their children will not automatically have CF—there is a 25 percent chance that their child will have the disease.
What are the symptoms of cystic fibrosis?
The symptoms of CF vary from person to person. Some of the most common symptoms can include persistent coughing or wheezing—sometimes with phlegm—shortness of breath, respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, a failure to gain weight at the normal rate and difficulty in passing stools or frequent, abnormal stools. CF does affect the respiratory system, including the lungs and sinuses. It can also cause the person to have very salty-tasting skin. Note that CF does not cause a person to sweat more, it is just that they have more salt in their sweat.
