Global Burden from Diarrhea: Decreasing but Still a Leading Cause of Death

Between 2005 and 2015, deaths from diarrheal diseases decreased by 34% among children <5 years and by 21% among all people.

The Global Burden of Disease project researchers estimated diarrhea-related mortality as of 2015 by age and geography. They then modeled morbidity and estimated the population attributable fraction for 13 diarrhea-causing pathogens over time.

They found that diarrhea was the 9th leading cause of death globally and was responsible for 8.6% of deaths among children <5 years. Diarrhea mortality rate in <5-year-olds was highest in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. Three etiologies — rotavirus, Cryptosporidium spp, and Shigella spp — together accounted for >50% of diarrheal deaths in children <5 years. Rotavirus-related deaths in children <5 years decreased by 44% between 2005 and 2015. In high-income countries, Clostridium difficile was the mai…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Global Burden from Diarrhea: Decreasing but Still a Leading Cause of Death

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Reviewing Author