Bacterial infections are the world's second leading cause of death after heart disease, according to a major study published on Tuesday in which Staphylococcus aureus (golden staphylococcus) и  pneumococcus are mentioned as the two deadliest bacteria.

With the judge, whose results were published in the Lancet magazine, they were selected thirty bacteria, the most common causes of infections, and scientists have tried to estimate how many deaths are associated with them.

The research was carried out in the framework of the so-called "global burden of disease".

This huge research program, funded by the Bill Gates Foundation, is of unparalleled scale and involves several thousand researchers from many countries around the world.

The five deadliest bacteria

The authors concluded that "deaths linked to the bacteria studied are the second leading cause of death worldwide" after coronary heart diseases, among which heart attacks stand out.

From 7,7 million deaths associated with bacterial infections, each eighth attributed to the consequences of infection with Staphylococcus aureus and pneumococcus. These data date from 2019, before the covid-19 pandemic.

Of the thirty selected bacteria, five of them cause more than half of the deaths: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, pneumococcus, Klebsellia pneumoniae and bacillus pyocyanin.

"Urgent priority" in public health

Staphylococcus aureus е "leading cause of death caused by bacterial infection in 135 countries", the study showed. But in children under the age of five, they are the most deadly pneumococcal infections.

The researchers say these results are a clear indication that bacterial infections are "urgent priority" in public health.

From there, they appeal for a commitment to infection prevention, a wiser prescription of antibiotics, especially to avoid resistance to these drugs, as well as a more effective use of vaccines.