Can People Survive Due to Their Genetics

The current Ebola virus outbreak, which is the largest ever reported, has overwhelmed struggling health systems in some of the world’s poorest countries. Past outbreaks have been brought under control fairly rapidly once the virus was identified and protective measures put in place. The virus is spread between humans through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. There is no cure for Ebola, but with intensive care treatment and proper hydration, patients have a chance of survival. But what about people who come into contact with the virus and do not get infected? Could something in their genes keep their body immune?
The Black Death, one of the most infamous plagues in history, arrived in Europe through the Sicilian port of Messina in October, 1347. Twelve trading ships of Genoese origin arrived during that month with crews that were either dead or covered with black boils. Sicilian authorities ordered the ships out of the harbor and even set some aflame with burning arrows. Unfortunately, the Black Death had already established a foothold and killed nearly a third of all Europeans, over 20 million people, before running its course over the next five years.
As horrible as it was, the Black Death spared many. A small percentage of the population became ill and recovered, and an even smaller percentage were exposed without ever becoming ill. This is where genetics may have come into play.
In the areas hardest hit by the plague, survivors married survivors. Plague survivors greatly outnumbered people who had not been exposed to the plague at all. Children in these regions carried the genes of plague survivors. In regions that were not devastated by the plague, this heredity was far less likely.