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Pneumococcal Pneumonia.(Pamphlet)
- Article from:
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Pamphlet by: National Institute of Allergy and InfectiousDiseases
- Article date:
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August 1, 2001
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2001 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a lung disease that can be caused by a variety of viruses, bacteria, and sometimes fungi. The U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate nearly 90,000 people in the United States died from one of several kinds of pneumonia in 1999. In the United States, pneumonia is the fifth leading cause of death [Natl Vital Stat Report 47 (25), 10/5/1999]. Rates of infection are three-times higher in African Americans than in whites and are 5- to 10-times higher in Native-American adults and 10-times higher in Native-American children [J Infect Dis;170:368-76, 1994].
On an international scale, acute respiratory infection ranks as ...