Cystic Fibrosis is not contagious. It is a genetic or inherited disease, beginning at conception from a defect or abnormality of a gene. More than 10 million Americans are unknowing, symptom-free carriers of the defective CF gene. An individual must inherit two defective CF genes — one from each parent — to have CF.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease that is passed down through families. It is caused by a defective gene that makes the body produce abnormally thick and sticky fluid, called mucus. This mucus builds up in the breathing passages of the lungs and in the pancreas.
Is cystic fibrosis contagious through kissing? No. Cystic fibrosis is not contagious, even via kissing, because it's a genetic disease. “It requires a mutation on the gene, one copy from the mother and one copy from the father,” says Wylam.
What causes cystic fibrosis? Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease caused by mutation in a gene called the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The CFTR gene provides instructions for the CFTR protein.
The disease occurs mostly in whites whose ancestors came from northern Europe, although it affects all races and ethnic groups. Accordingly, it is less common in African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. Approximately 2,500 babies are born with CF each year in the United States.
Just three decades ago, the average person with cystic fibrosis would live only to the age of 30, but now 50 years is typical, and some patients with CF live into their 80s.
F508del is the most common mutation. In Australia, one in 2,500 babies are born with cystic fibrosis and there is currently no cure. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections.
These infections can be dangerous – even life-threatening – to people with CF. This is why doctors say that patients with CF should stay 6 feet (or more) away from anyone who is sick. In addition, people with CF should try to stay as far as possible from someone else with CF.
A person with cystic fibrosis is born with the condition. It's not possible to "catch" cystic fibrosis from someone else who has it.
Symptoms of CF
Frequent lung infections including pneumonia or bronchitis. Wheezing or shortness of breath. Poor growth or weight gain in spite of a good appetite. Frequent greasy, bulky stools or difficulty with bowel movements.
Mucus, digestion issues, ports, hospital admissions, chronic coughing, and pills and treatments all have their necessary place in a relationship with someone who has CF. It can make dating hard and intimidating at first. Revealing and coping with CF for a couple can be overwhelming and difficult as well.
For people with CF, being close to others with the disease puts them at greater risk of getting and spreading dangerous germs and bacteria. This is called cross‐infection. Not only are these dangerous germs difficult to treat, but they can also lead to worsening symptoms and faster decline in lung function.
When there is more than one person with CF in your school, it is essential that they be kept a minimum of 6 feet (2 meters) apart from each other. Germs can spread as far as 6 feet through droplets released in the air when people cough or sneeze.
People with cystic fibrosis should never meet each other, as they carry bacteria within their lungs that could be harmful to each other.
Cystic fibrosis is inherited. This means it is passed down from parent to child through the genes. Your baby inherited a normal CF gene (N) from one parent, and a mutation of a CF gene (C) from the other parent. This means at least one parent (mother or father) is also a CF carrier.
Recently, more and more people have been diagnosed with CF after age 50. The oldest person in the United States diagnosed with CF for the first time was 82. Those who are not diagnosed with CF until later in life generally suffer from colds, sinus infections, pneumonia, stomach pains, and acid reflux.
Most women with CF are able to become pregnant and achieve a normal pregnancy. Your obstetrician should be able to help you understand your reproductive health to help you make the right family planning decisions.
There are about 30,000 people with cystic fibrosis in the United States and approximately 70,000 people worldwide. Approximately 1 in 30 Americans is a carrier. There is no cure for CF, but treatment is available.
Does a lung transplant cure cystic fibrosis? No. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition so even though the transplanted lungs will not have CF and will never develop it, the rest of the person's body will continue to have cystic fibrosis.
A child can inherit CF only if both parents carry a CF gene (that is, each parent either has CF or is a carrier) and both parents pass the CF gene on to their child. There is nothing that parents do to cause CF in their child and usually they do not know that they are carriers of a CF gene.
1 A; r = 0.45; p = 0.0052). Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium were the countries with the highest prevalence of both CF patient (2.64, 1.56, 1.29 /10,000 inhabitants respectively), and COVID-19 cases.
While cystic fibrosis is usually diagnosed in childhood, adults with no symptoms (or mild symptoms) during their youth can still be found to have the disease.
Most people are diagnosed with CF at birth with newborn screening, or before 2 years of age. A doctor who sees the symptoms of CF will order a sweat test or a genetic test to confirm the diagnosis. A sweat test is the most common test used to diagnose CF.
Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) can be challenging, but it doesn't have to stop you from going to school, having a family or getting a job. Find out how Cystic Fibrosis Trust can support you to achieve all that and more.