How You Get Diabetes Introduction Unlike what some people may think, diabetes can not be “caught” like a cold. People can, however, inherit a tendency for the disease but no one can inherit the disease itself. The hereditary factors between type I and type II diabetes are slightly different. Type I There are several factors that can give a person a higher tendency with developing type I diabetes: hereditary factors, immune factors, and “triggering” factors such as stress or viruses. If both parents have type I diabetes the risk for developing it is less than 50%. If an identical twin develops type I diabetes the risk for the other person developing it is less than 50%. Some infections have been shown to trigger type I diabetes, one of which is Coxsackie B. Studies have shown that 20% of babies born with German measles will develop type I diabetes. Also, in studies some toxins can trigger this type of diabetes. For example a study showed that after eating tainted meat some people developed type I diabetes because the meat had a chemical toxin that destroyed beta cells. Type II There is a very strong heredity factor in developing type II diabetes. If an identical twin has type II diabetes the chance that the other twin will also develop it is 95%. Certain ethnic groups, such as Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans have a stronger tendency in developing type II diabetes possibly because of their diet or environmental factors. Obesity is a very large factor in developing type II diabetes. When a person is obese, the body has a harder time using the insulin. Usually, though, if a person has not inherited a tendency for type II and they become obese their body accommodates more easily and they will not develop it. But, if the person inherits a tendency for type II they have a very high risk of developing it if they become obese. Gestational Diabetes Gestational diabetes can only develop in a woman while she is pregnant. If the woman has a high blood sugar level while pregnant she will develop gestational diabetes, but after the baby is born her body will go back to normal. However, 25-50% of mothers who have gestational diabetes will develop type II diabetes after the birth.