system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
An investigator is studying the outcomes of a malaria outbreak in an endemic region of Africa. 500 men and 500 women with known malaria exposure are selected to participate in the study. Participants with G6PD deficiency are excluded from the study. The clinical records of the study subjects are reviewed and their peripheral blood smears are evaluated for the presence of Plasmodium trophozoites. Results show that 9% of the exposed population does not have clinical or laboratory evidence of malaria infection. Which of the following best explains the absence of infection seen in this subset of participants?
assistant
Glutamic acid substitution in the β-globin chain