Working Paper: NBER ID: w30269
Authors: C. Justin Cook; Jason Fletcher
Abstract: We hypothesize that the impact of antibiotics is moderated by a population’s inherent (genetic) resistance to infectious disease. Using the introduction of sulfa drugs in 1937, we show that US states that are more genetically susceptible to infectious disease saw larger declines in their bacterial mortality rates following the introduction of sulfa drugs in 1937. This suggests area-level genetic endowments of disease resistance and the discovery of medical technologies have acted as substitutes in determining levels of health across the US. We also document immediate effects of sulfa drug exposure to the age of the workforce and cumulative effects on educational attainment for cohorts exposed to sulfa drugs in early life.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: I11; I14; I15; J1
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| introduction of sulfa drugs in 1937 (B24) | decline in bacterial mortality rates (I12) |
| higher genetic susceptibility (HLA homozygosity) (Y50) | larger declines in bacterial mortality rates following introduction of sulfa drugs (I12) |
| higher HLA homozygosity (J79) | more pronounced decline in bacterial mortality rates post-1937 (I12) |