Tay-Sachs, a rare -- and fatal -- degenerative disease, occurs disproportionately in Cajuns and Jews.

Asked to nominate her most memorable work, New York science writer Laurie Garrett offered "A Hidden Killer in Cajun Country," an account of her visit to Acadiana to research Tay-Sachs, a rare degenerative disease that occurs disproportionately in Cajuns and Jews.

Garrett explores the genetic puzzle of why the fatal disorder would surface more frequently among such seemingly disparate ethnic groups. But she also writes movingly of the suffering endured by families faced with the disease.

The new publication of Garrett's story, which was first published in Newsday, a New York newspaper, should help throw a national spotlight on one of the more provocative specialties of science, Cajun genetics.

Friedreich's Ataxia, Usher's Syndrome

By useful circumstance, the subject also gets a prominent treatment in a recent issue of an LSU newsletter, LSU Today.

The newsletter profiles Mark Batzer, an LSU researcher who has been collaborating with other scientists for more than a decade to analyze Cajun genetics.

The research explores why some illnesses occur more heavily in Cajuns than in the general population.

Another researcher, Bronya Keats of the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, has explored why Friedreich's Ataxia, or FA, is found in one of about 20,000 Cajuns, a relatively high incidence. FA is a degenerative illness that typically leaves patients unable to walk.

Keats also has collaborated on research initiated by a colleague, Mary Kay Pelias, on the high incidence of Usher Syndrome in Cajuns. The illness can impair vision and hearing.

Beyond the Lab

Batzer said that his research has brought him and his colleagues beyond the lab and into area homes to examine family trees and health histories. "This is more than just scientific research," said Batzer. "This involves digging through records and going door to door for additional information."

Batzer said that good historical record-keeping within close-knit Cajun families and churches has greatly aided the research.

Ultimately, researchers hope to find clues that will help them in treating genetic disorders that have an abnormally high presence among Cajuns.

The research also has involved the Tulane Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. It's heartening to see this kind of cooperation between universities that historically have viewed themselves as rivals.

It's also encouraging to see research that might help families not far from campus. We wish LSU and Tulane luck with it.