NPR looked at data from the World Health Organization and the CDC to uncover the deadliest contagious diseases by death toll. The top five are as follows:
HIV/AIDS: 1.6 million deaths in 2012
Tuberculosis: 1.3 million deaths in 2012
Pneumonia: 1.1 million children under the age of five, according to yearly estimates
Infectious diarrhea: 760,000 children under the age of five, according to yearly estimates
Malaria: 627,000 deaths
For most of these diseases, survival rate increases with access to medical care and treatment, the NPR report noted.
More articles on infection control:
CDC offers Ebola training course for healthcare workers traveling to Africa
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US to send troops to battle Ebola
