MAY 18, 2015
Cancer and heart disease are the biggest killers in every
state. No surprise there.
But a recent look at
death certificates shows that once you set aside those two big killers, the
states vary widely in the fatal illnesses their residents contract.
In New Jersey's case, it's septicemia, or blood poisoning.
The "most distinctive" causes of death around the
United States. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Kathleen
O'Brien | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The map for "most distinctive" causes of death
shows which state has the highest rate of various illness: Florida has a high
rate of AIDS, while Louisiana still sees deaths from syphilis.
Others, such as black lung disease in three Appalachian
states, confirm what is already known. The map doesn't show which state sees
the most cases of any particular illness, but rather which state has the
highest number of cases per capita.
Septicemia is an infection of the blood stream that can be
causes by bacteria contamination of IV lines or catheters in hospitals, but can
also result from the smallest of cuts on the hands or feet of people with
diabetes. Those whose immune systems are weak are also vulnerable to it.
The researchers say New Jersey's result puzzled them, with
no ready explanation for it. It was the only state with septicemia as its most
distinctive cause of death.
The map was compiled for the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention by Francis P. Boscoe of the New York State Cancer
Registry and Eva Pradhan, of the New York State Department of Health.