Thalassemia is blood disorder where individuals with thalassemia produce too much iron. This disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive.

Thalassemia is blood disorder where individuals with thalassemia produce too much iron. This disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive. It has been hypothesized that heterozygous individuals have some immunity to malaria (similar to sickle cell anaemia). You obtain blood samples from a Mediterranean population of humans where malaria is endemic and among 100 individuals find 3 with thalassemia and 50 who are carriers. Are these results consistent with the hypothesis that heterozygous individuals have partial immunity to malaria?