Infectious diseases are disorders that are caused by organisms, usually microscopic in size, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites that are passed, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Humans can also become infected following exposure to an infected animal that harbors a pathogenic organism that is capable of infecting humans.
Infectious diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide, particularly in low income countries, especially in young children.
Three infectious diseases were ranked in the top ten causes of death worldwide in 2016 by the World Health Organization. They are lower respiratory infections (3.0 million deaths), diarrheal diseases (1.4 million deaths), and tuberculosis (1.3 million deaths). HIV/AIDS, which was previously on the list, has dropped from the global list of the top ten causes of death (1.0 million deaths in 2016 compared with 1.5 million in 2000), but it is still a leading cause of death in low income countries. Another infectious disease, malaria, accounts for a top cause of death in low income countries.
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