[Taxacom] Deadliest genera to humans

Tue Feb 11 09:23:14 CST 2020

Hi Ken,

I think this is a very interesting topic that you have started. Thanks a lot for sharing the information and please, keep the updates coming!

Having said that, I think that you are pushing a bit (perhaps a lot) with the deaths attributed to sugar and meat. As even you admitted, they are all highly subjective (e.g., Would it only the sugar from sugar cane the main culprit? What about places where read meat does not come from cows? What about factoring not only diet (sugar/read meat) but also hormones added (to the meat) or lack of exercise as a compounding factor to food intake?). This could go on and on, with many pros and cons added. BUT, I think there is a nice way to draw a line there: ALL other genera that you have listed are different in the sense that a person can (and usually will) choose to eat read meat, or sugar, or smoke; however no "normal" person chooses to be infected with TB, or pneumonia, or any of the diseases listed by you. [The inclusion of the Homo genus may also be debatable, but I think is fair to include due to your reasoning].

So, in my mind I would exclude from your list the genera Bos, Zea, Saccharum, Beta and Nicotiana. NONE of those actively "attack/parasitize" humans, nor are they spread in any shape by contagion or vectors (well, you could argue that peer pressure and the media influence are factors in smoking or food habits... but, again, that is more subjective and open to debate... and, in any case, peer pressure and media influence (to use/consume Bos, Zea, Saccharum, Beta and Nicotiana) are ACTUALLY caused by the genus Homo! You see where am I going with that?). 

Thus, in my mind I would keep your list starting on Mycobacterium. Only from that point down you can really provide a more or less objective way of measuring deaths (and I say "more or less" because even there there is some degree subjectivity, as no doubts some of the deaths occurred due a combination of factors, such as pre-existing medical conditions, level of health care in a specific place, etc.). But, at least from that point in you list and down, the criteria are more solid. 

Of course, that is only my opinion, and if you insist in tallying the other genera, fine with me. Either way, please keep sending updates!

Cheers, 
Jose

--
José L. Fernández-Triana, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Canadian National Collection of Insects (CNC) 
960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C6, CANADA 
Phone: 613-759-1034. Email: jose.fernandez at canada.ca 
Alternative email : cnc.braconidae at gmail.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> On Behalf Of Kenneth Kinman via Taxacom
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2020 4:28 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Deadliest genera to humans

Followup:
        It was pointed out to me that sugar consumption now increasingly comes in the form of high fructose corn syrup (which comes from the genus Zea).  And a lot of granulated sugar comes from sugar beets (genus Beta).  But countries like Brazil and India produce huge amounts of sugar from sugar cane, although one might argue that since high fructose corn syrup is less healthy that it might now cause more deaths.
       In any case, I think the "35 million deaths" figure is no doubt an exaggeration (although I haven't seen the 2012 Univ. of California study).  A study in the Lancet concluded there were about 11 million deaths annually from poor diet (although that might be an underestimate).  But this also brings up another dangerous genus: Bos (excess red meat intake).  That also contributes to cancer, heart disease, etc.   Therefore, taking 11 million as a conservative estimate, perhaps it would be something like this:
                   Bos, from excess red meat intake (perhaps over 3 million deaths)
                   Zea, from excess corn syrup intake (perhaps over 3 million deaths)
                   Saccharum and Beta, from excess sugar intake (perhaps over 2 million deaths)
      Of course for a majority of people, death probably comes from a combination of the above, so it's hard to attach exact numbers (thus my use of the word "over" and using conservative numbers).  And all those plants whose oils are hydrogenated and used in processed foods and for cooking.  A number of different genera there, but those plants don't hydrogenate the oils (genus Homo does that).  Salt intake is another culprit, but its source isn't a genus.  In any case, I doubt that the 35 million deaths from sugar is anywhere near accurate.  Red meat and corn syrup should probably get more of the blame.
                                   -----------------Ken

________________________________
From: Kenneth Kinman <kinman at hotmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2020 12:57 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Cc: Kenneth Kinman <kinman at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Deadliest genera to humans

Hi All,
       Due to the feedback received so far, see below for two additions.  I have added Schistosoma and Entamoeba below the main list.  They probably caused over 200,000 deaths per year in the past, but treatment programs seem to have lowered the death tolls from those diseases.  As for Saccharum (excess sugar intake), I am leaving it as "over 10,000,000" even though some estimates (death due to cancer, heart disease, liver disease, in addition to diabetes) claim the numbers are over 35 million deaths per year (I haven't yet seen the statistics published by the Univ. of California in 2012):
 "Statistics published by the University of California in 2012 suggested that sugar was responsible for over 35 million deaths globally per year."  (Source:  https://www.esquireme.com/content/15484-5-serious-diseases-caused-by-sugar)

Saccharum, excess sugar intake (over 10,000,000 human deaths per year).
Nicotiana, causing cancers from tobacco smoking and chewing (over 5,000,000 human deaths per year).
Mycobacterium, especially M. tuberculosis (over 1,200,000 human deaths per year).
Lentavirus, causing HIV infections (over 770,000 deaths per year).
Plasmodium (Anopheles the vector) causing malaria (over 500,000 deaths per year).
Streptococcus, causing pneumonia (about 500,000 deaths per year).
Homo (humans killing over 400,000 humans per year, plus about 800,000 suicides).
Alphainfluenzavirus, causing flu (290,000-645,000 humans per year).
Norovirus (about 200,000 humans per year).
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Schistosoma, causing schistosomiasis (about 200,000 humans in the year 2000; but now lower due to treatment programs?) Entamoeba, causing amoebic dysentery (50,000-100,000 humans per year).
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