Field survey for sickle cell disease in the tribal population of East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh.

Tribals have inhabited the hilly forest area in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, South India in isolation for centuries. A field survey for sickle cell disease was conducted from 1978 to 1986 and electrophoresis on cellogel was carried out in 2,589 samples. The incidence of sickle gene varied in different castes among the tribals. A higher incidence was found in the Valmiki (31.5%), followed by the Konda Kammari (27%), Koya Dora (17.3%), Konda Reddy (13.4%), Koya (12.1%), Konda Kapu (6.8%), and others (4.2%). Harijans living in the tribal belt had an incidence of 16.1%.