A list of the 40 most burdensome pathogens, in terms of worldwide morbidity and mortality, can be found here.
The list includes some of the more obvious pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Plasmodium spp., Human immunodeficiency virus, Influenza virus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.
Less obvious entries are Leptospira spp., Wuchereria bancrofti, and Parvovirus.
Not included in the list are Vibrio spp., Hepatitis C virus, and Rhinovirus.
Source: Case Studies in Infectious Disease (2009) by Peter M Lydyard. It is an excellent basic science/transition to clinical medicine book and a core title in Infectious Diseases: A Curriculum for Self-Guided Learners. A free sample chapter is available here.
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