What is the “Celtic Curse”?
The ‘Celtic curse’ is the name popularly given to the condition haemochromatosis, a genetic disorder where excessive amounts of iron are absorbed from the diet, leading to organ and tissue damage and even death, if left untreated.
It is most common in certain European populations (such as the Irish and Norwegians) and occurs in 0.6% of some unspecified population. Men have a 24-fold increased rate of iron-overload disease compared with women.
Haemochromatosis is the most common genetic disorder in Australia. About 1 in 200 people of northern European origin have the genetic risk for haemochromatosis. People with haemochromatosis absorb too much iron from their diet. The excess iron is stored in the body. Over time this leads to iron overload.
In general, provided there has been no liver damage, patients should expect a normal life expectancy if adequately treated by venesection. If the serum ferritin is greater than 1000 ug/L at diagnosis there is a risk of liver damage and cirrhosis which may eventually shorten their life. The presence of cirrhosis increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.
How does this relate to Rh(D) negative blood?
Celts are high in rh negative frequencies for one, but there is also this:
Such a staggering body count underscores the potential selective power of the plague, and foments another theory for the mutation’s presence in northern Europe. Author and researcher Sharon Moalem postulates that the mutation improved plague survival, as it may theoretically prevent Yersinia pestis from reproducing inside of human immune cells.
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While overall Rh(D) negatives are disadvantaged health-wise, we may carry some resistance to infections of viral origins.
It is therefore quite possible that the number of Rh(D) negatives increased during the plague percentage-wise.
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Though it is well known that the plague was responsible for the deaths of nearly half of the European population at the time, evidence also suggests that it may be responsible for the high rates of a disease called hemochromatosis; a disease of excessive iron storage, that “is the most common inherited single gene disorder in people of Northern and Western European descent.”
This survival advantage during the plague is thought to be responsible for the current high rates of the mutation in those with European ancestry. If true, this mutation may have been responsible for an increased survival during the plague, but at the cost of a decreased life expectancy for them later on.