Written by Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter
A new report has revealed that bacterial infections are responsible for 1 in 8 deaths and are second only to heart disease as the leading cause of death in the world.
About 7.7 million people died in 2019 from infection with one of 33 common types of bacteria, according to the report published November 21. scalpel. That’s roughly 14% of the deaths that year.
More than 75% of bacteria-related deaths, the study authors said, came from one of three diseases — lower respiratory tract infections, bloodstream infections and abdominal infections.
And five specific and commonly known germs – Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa It was responsible for more than half of all deaths from bacterial infections.
It was the pathogen associated with the highest number of deaths globally S. aureus bacteria, with 1.1 million deaths. These bacteria cause “staph” infections that can lead to pneumonia and sepsis.
The other four bacteria have been linked to more than half a million deaths: coli (950,000 deaths); pneumoniae (829,000); K. pneumoniae (790,000); And the P. aeruginosa (559,000), the researchers reported.
More deaths have been linked S. aureus bacteria And the coli All of HIV/AIDS in 2019, which killed 864,000 people.
Despite this, investigators note, HIV research received $42 billion in funding against $800 million. coli Research.
“These new data reveal for the first time the full extent of the global public health challenge posed by bacterial infections,” said co-investigator Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington School of Medicine. , in Seattle.
“It is critical to put these findings on the radar of global health initiatives so that a deeper dive can be made into deadly pathogens, and appropriate investments can be made to reduce deaths and injuries,” Murray said in a news magazine. Release.
Bacterial infection mortality rate varied by location. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest rates, with 230 deaths per 100,000 people. By comparison, Western Europe, North America and Australia had a death rate of 52 deaths per 100,000.
The germs associated with most deaths also differed by age.
S. aureus bacteria It causes most deaths in people 15 years of age or older Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium Most of the people between the ages of 5 and 14 were killed. Meanwhile, the pneumonia bacteria killed most of the children under the age of four.
more information
Harvard Medical School has more on how to prevent infection.
source: scalpelpress release, November 21, 2022
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