All the affected persons are distantly related, being descendants of a young couple who migrated from Germany in 1741, settling near French Settlement. Now Literally hundreds of persons living in the area carry the FSD gene. The disease can only be transmitted from parent to child. A child must inherit two FSD genes, one from each parent, to actually have the disease. A specific blood test may eventually show that he or she has only half the amount of the particular enzyme that a noncarrier has.
Carriers are, of course, normal in appearance and function.
But they are capable of passing on the gene that causes the disease. The chance of having a child with FSD is greatest if both parents were born in Livingston Parish because the possibility of their being carriers is increased by the increased likelihood that they may be des- cendants of the original progenitor. No, not at present. But this is on area of research we are actively pursuing. Usually not before the age of 20.