What are the top 5 infectious diseases in 2024?
Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by harmful agents (pathogens) that get into your body. The most common causes are viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.
How do infections spread?
They can spread in several different ways, including through:
- Skin contact
- Transfer of bodily fluids
- Contact with faeces
- Ingesting contaminated food or water
- Inhaling airborne particles or droplets
- Bites
- Touching an object that a person carrying the pathogen has also touched.
Some infectious diseases are minor and some are very serious.
So. What are the top 5 infectious diseases in 2024?
5 common infectious diseases caused by viruses:
- Common cold
- The flu (influenza)
- COVID-19
- Stomach bug (viral gastroenteritis)
- Hepatitis.
Other common viruses include: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and HIV/AIDS.
Other (non-viral) infections
Common infectious diseases caused by bacteria:
- Strep throat (streptococcus A)
- Salmonella
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Whooping cough (pertussis)
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- E. coli
- Clostridioides difficile (‘C diff’).
Common infectious diseases caused by fungi:
- Ringworm (including athlete’s foot)
- Fungal nail infections
- Vaginal candidiasis (vaginal yeast infection)
- Thrush.
Common infectious diseases caused by parasites:
- Malaria
- Giardiasis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Hookworms
- Pinworms.
Summary
We have described what are the top 5 infectious diseases in 2024. We hope it has been helpful.
