FluTrackers was initially established to track the emergence of H5N1 Avian Influenza infections in humans. Later, FluTrackers encompassed more novel infectious diseases and eventually expanded its scope to include all public health issues. Recently, the emphasis at FluTrackers has been on Ebola, MERS, etc. with the Zika virus outbreak in the Western Hemisphere dominating the latest posting activities.
The first and, so far, only Zika-associated death in the US and its territories was a man in San Juan, Puerto Rico who died in February 2016 from complications associated with the Zika virus. (link) Two deaths from Ebola were reported in the US in 2014. No MERS death have been reported from the US, although two imported were reported in the US in 2014.
Deaths from uncommon and rare diseases only occur infrequently in the US. Notifiable diseases and conditions are reported to the CDC through a large public health network in the US. In a 2015 report, the CDC tabulated the annual deaths between 2005 and 2011 from data accumulated by National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). The table below from the 2015 report identifies the number of deaths per year between 2005 and 2011 for about 50 notifiable diseases and conditions. As noted in the table, HIV deaths are the most common death. The table also reveals that between 11,300 and 16,500 deaths have occurred each year between 2005 and 2011 from these notifiable diseases. HIV related deaths represent about 70% of all of these deaths. The number of deaths each year has been declining every year since 2005 primarily because of the reduction in HIV deaths annually.
In contrast, the number one cause of death in the US has been heart disease. In 2015, Medical News Today (2) reports that the top 10 causes of death in the US were
Deaths from uncommon and rare notifiable diseases and conditions do not make the top 10 list.
An article published last week in the BMJ (3) by authors from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests that the third most frequent cause of death in the United States is medical errors. According to these authors,
According to a graphic in their article, the top 7 causes of death in the United States are listed below.
1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Medical error
4. COPD
5. Suicide
6. Firearms
7. Motor vehicles
[For a rejoinder to this article see (4)]
According to these authors medical errors are projected to be responsible for more than 250,000 deaths per year. Contrast that number of deaths with the 11,000 to 16,000 deaths each year from notifiable diseases and conditions.
The take-home message from this discussion is that if you live in the US you should be more worried about dying from routine medical care than from an Ebola or Zika virus infection.
(1) Summary of Notifiable Infectious Diseases and Conditions ? United States, 2013
(2) The top 10 leading causes of death in the US
(3) Medical error ? the third leading cause of death in the US
(4) Don?t believe what you read on new report of medical error deaths
The first and, so far, only Zika-associated death in the US and its territories was a man in San Juan, Puerto Rico who died in February 2016 from complications associated with the Zika virus. (link) Two deaths from Ebola were reported in the US in 2014. No MERS death have been reported from the US, although two imported were reported in the US in 2014.
Deaths from uncommon and rare diseases only occur infrequently in the US. Notifiable diseases and conditions are reported to the CDC through a large public health network in the US. In a 2015 report, the CDC tabulated the annual deaths between 2005 and 2011 from data accumulated by National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). The table below from the 2015 report identifies the number of deaths per year between 2005 and 2011 for about 50 notifiable diseases and conditions. As noted in the table, HIV deaths are the most common death. The table also reveals that between 11,300 and 16,500 deaths have occurred each year between 2005 and 2011 from these notifiable diseases. HIV related deaths represent about 70% of all of these deaths. The number of deaths each year has been declining every year since 2005 primarily because of the reduction in HIV deaths annually.
In contrast, the number one cause of death in the US has been heart disease. In 2015, Medical News Today (2) reports that the top 10 causes of death in the US were
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Chronic lower respiratory disease
- Accidents
- Stroke
- Alzheimer?s disease
- Diabetes
- Influenza and pneumonia
- Kidney disease
- Suicide
Deaths from uncommon and rare notifiable diseases and conditions do not make the top 10 list.
An article published last week in the BMJ (3) by authors from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests that the third most frequent cause of death in the United States is medical errors. According to these authors,
We calculated a mean rate of death from medical error of 251,454 a year using the studies reported since the 1999 IOM report and extrapolating to the total number of US hospital admissions in 2013. We believe this understates the true incidence of death due to medical error because the studies cited rely on errors extractable in documented health records and include only inpatient deaths. . . .Comparing our estimate to CDC rankings suggests that medical error is the third most common cause of death in the US.
1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Medical error
4. COPD
5. Suicide
6. Firearms
7. Motor vehicles
[For a rejoinder to this article see (4)]
According to these authors medical errors are projected to be responsible for more than 250,000 deaths per year. Contrast that number of deaths with the 11,000 to 16,000 deaths each year from notifiable diseases and conditions.
The take-home message from this discussion is that if you live in the US you should be more worried about dying from routine medical care than from an Ebola or Zika virus infection.
(1) Summary of Notifiable Infectious Diseases and Conditions ? United States, 2013
(2) The top 10 leading causes of death in the US
(3) Medical error ? the third leading cause of death in the US
(4) Don?t believe what you read on new report of medical error deaths
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