A Diverse Genetic Landscape: Thalassemia Genotype Patterns in Myanmar and Cambodian Workers in Southern Thailand

Thalassemia is one of the most common inherited red blood cell disorders worldwide and is regarded as a major public health concern in Thailand and many countries. Thalassemia prevention and control in Thailand will face greater challenges due to the entrance of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) workers migrating to the country. This study examined the prevalence of thalassemia among migrant workers from Cambodia and Myanmar. Thalassemia was identified through the analysis of hemoglobin (Hb) and DNA. Out of 532 blood samples, 60.5% were found to be thalassemia heterozygotes or affected by the disease, encompassing 21 different thalassemia genotypes. The prevalence of homozygous (7.4%) and heterozygous (29.8%) Hb E was high among workers from Cambodia. Among workers from Myanmar, the prevalence of α⁺-thalassemia is interestingly high, reaching an unprecedented 46.1% in total. The prevalence of β-thalassemia heterozygotes is 3.2%. The molecular information obtained should provide useful data for improving diagnostics, as well as for planning prevention and control programs for severe thalassemia and genetic counseling among migrant workers in Thailand.