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- In 1998, of a global total of 54 million
deaths, 16.7 million were due to circulatory diseases; 13.5 million
were due to infectious diseases; and 7 million were due to cancer.
The World Health Organization estimated that infectious diseases
caused over 13 million deaths - almost a quarter of total deaths
worldwide. Among the most common causes of mortality were the
three diseases: pneumonia (3.5 million), diarrheal disease (2.2
million) and tuberculosis (1.5 million). Other important infectious
causes of death were acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (2.3
million), malaria (1.1 million), and measles (1.0 million).
Despite the extensive use of antimicrobial agents and vaccination
programs, infectious diseases continue to be a major cause of
morbidity and mortality worldwide. Widespread antimicrobial resistance,
the emergence of new pathogens in addition to the resurgence
of old ones, and the lack of effective new therapeutics exacerbate
the problems.
Our research involves a spectrum of basic and clinical investigations
of infectious diseases which are focused on an understanding
of host responses against infectious pathogens and development
of immune-based interventions which, in turn, can be directly
applied to human diseases. The ultimate goal of our laboratory
is to promote the prevention and improve the treatment of infectious
diseases, for the benefit of patients and the public.
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