Disease deaths on increase

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Disease deaths on increase 9.24AM GMT, 21 Dec 2001 One in 15 deaths is now caused by an infectious disease such as tuberculosis, according to new figures. "History shows that we ignore the threat posed by infectious disease at our peril" - Dr Angus Nicholl The Review of Communicable Diseases has highlighted the huge impact infectious diseases have on England and Wales. The research found TB has increased by ten per cent in two years while new pandemics like Aids pose fresh challenges for the future. Hospital-acquired infections have also increased. In 1991, just two per cent of bloodstream infections with staphylococcus were caused by methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA). By 2000, this figure had risen to over 40 per cent highlighting the fact that MRSA "superbugs" are now a significant issue for all hospitals. Dr Angus Nicoll, director of the PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre which prepared the report, said: "History shows that we ignore the threat posed by infectious disease at our peril - there is never any cause for complacency. "We know that some infections, like TB, which were previously declining, are now re-emerging - TB has increased by ten per cent since 1998. "At the same time, we have recognised completely new infections over the last 20 years, such as HIV, e.coli or hepatitis C, and these pose new challenges for the future. "Alongside this, the public rightly demands that we are ready to respond to new threats like rising levels of sexually-transmitted infections, the problem of hospital-acquired infection and now the new threat of bioterrorism which has become a reality in the USA. "One of the key themes highlighted in this new report is that infections affect different social groups disproportionately, and so it is vital that we develop prevention strategies for those who are most at risk."