[Taxacom] Revised "Deadliest genera to humans"

Tue Feb 11 10:34:29 CST 2020

Hi All,
         Okay, I agree with the suggestions.  Homo definitely tops the list, but I'm splitting it into three categories.
Revised listing of deadliest genera to humans:

Homo via bad dietary choices (especially from Bos, Zea, Saccharum, and/or Beta, i.e. excess sugars and red meat) (over 11,000,000 human deaths per year).
Homo via Nicotiana, causing cancers from tobacco smoking and chewing (over 5,000,000 human deaths per year).
Homo (humans killing over 400,000 humans per year, plus about 800,000 suicides, totaling over 1,200,000 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).
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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________________________________
From: Taxacom <taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu> on behalf of Kenneth Kinman via Taxacom <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2020 3:28 PM
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu <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).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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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