7.7 million deaths around the world were found linked to bacterial infection. That is 13.6%, or 1 in 8, of all global deaths. This makes bacterial infections the second-leading cause of death globally.
Bacterial Causes of Sudden Death
Bacterial infections are responsible for sudden unexpected death in adults and children. In the pediatric population bacterial infections of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system account for the majority of cases of sudden death.
S aureus was the leading bacterial cause of death in 135 countries and was associated with the most deaths in people over 15 years (940,000).
Untreated bacterial infections can sometimes lead to serious, life-threatening conditions. Septicaemia is a serious blood infection. It is when bacteria enter the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning. Sepsis is a condition that happens when the body damages its own tissues in response to a bad infection.
Tuberculosis (or TB) has been responsible for the death of more people than any other infectious disease in history; over a billion deaths in the past 200 years. Its origin is unclear, but it infects a number of other species, including cattle.
The world's biggest killer is ischaemic heart disease, responsible for 16% of the world's total deaths.
They reproduce quickly in your body. Many give off chemicals called toxins, which can damage tissue and make you sick. Examples of bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli.
MRSA is one of the most common antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Symptoms of MRSA infection often begin as small red bumps on the skin that can progress to deep, painful abscesses or boils, which are pus-filled masses under the skin. These need to be surgically opened and drained.
They invade the host's healthy cells and use the cells' components to multiply and grow, causing infections. Some viruses kill the host cells as an intrinsic part of their life cycle. This destruction of host cells is what makes viruses more dangerous than bacteria.
Generally speaking, our immune systems clear viral infections more easily than bacterial infections. Overall, viral infections can be a little less severe than bacterial infections, meaning your fever might be lower with a viral infection than a bacterial infection.
Convalescence. The final stage of infection is known as convalescence. During this stage, symptoms resolve, and a person can return to their normal functions. Depending on the severity of the infection, some people may have permanent damage even after the infection resolves.
While most viral infections like the flu will eventually fade away on their own, certain bacterial infections like strep throat and UTIs need to be treated to avoid serious complications.
Humans produce a new generation every 20 years or so; bacteria do it every 20 to 30 minutes, and viruses even faster. Because they reproduce so quickly, microorganisms can assemble in enormous numbers with great variety in their communities.
The five periods of disease (sometimes referred to as stages or phases) include the incubation, prodromal, illness, decline, and convalescence periods (Figure 12.2. 1). The incubation period occurs in an acute disease after the initial entry of the pathogen into the host (patient).
Bacterial infections are caused by small, single-cell organisms called bacteria that invade the body. These infections are common, and there are many ways you can get them.
Bacterial Infections
Symptoms persist longer than the expected 10-14 days a virus tends to last. Fever is higher than one might typically expect from a virus. Fever gets worse a few days into the illness rather than improving.
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a rare, but serious bacterial infection. STSS can develop very quickly into low blood pressure, multiple organ failure, and even death.
Rabies. Rabies, one of the oldest known infectious diseases, is nearly 100% fatal and continues to cause tens of thousands of human deaths globally (1).
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. This is the case in the U.S. and worldwide. More than half of all people who die due to heart disease are men.
dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. advanced lung, heart, kidney and liver disease. stroke and other neurological diseases, including motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis. Huntington's disease.
Cardiovascular disease is the top cause of death globally. In the map we see death rates from cardiovascular diseases across the world.
The most common specific causes of natural deaths in the United States have shifted from the scourges of the early 1900s – tuberculosis, influenza, diarrhea – to modern killers such as heart disease and cancer.