What is the strangest killer in YOUR state? Map shows the most 'most distinctive' causes of death across the US

superbeets · May 14, 2015

[h=1]What is the strangest killer in YOUR state? Map shows the most 'most distinctive' causes of death across the US[/h]

A 'distinctive' cause of death is one that where the rate is higher compared to the national average
Black lung disease was found to be a more common killer in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky
HIV was the most distinctive cause of death in Florida, sepsis in New Jersey and syphilis in Louisiana
Most distinctive cause of death in New York and Connecticut was 'inflammatory diseases of pelvic organs'

By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 02:46, 15 May 2015 | UPDATED: 03:00, 15 May 2015

Heart disease and cancer are the two biggest killers in the US.
But there are other, less obvious causes of death that are specific to each state, such as syphilis in Louisiana and gun fire in Tennessee.
Now, a new map reveals the 'most distinctive' killers across the country – and the results can be surprising.

+3

A new map by the New York State Cancer Registry shows the 'most distinctive' causes of death for each state. Rather than showing common causes of death, it reveals where a rate of death from a certain cause was higher than it was in the entire United States

This coloured key corresponds to the map to unusual causes of death. 'Black lung disease' – or pneumoconiosis – which is caused by breathing in certain dusts is a major threat in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. Meanwhile, Alaska and Idaho, had more 'distinctive deaths' from plane or boat accidents and sepsis infection was the strangest cause of death in New Jersey

.

superbeets · May 14, 2015

The map is 'a colourful and provocative way of starting some conversations and highlighting some unusual things that are going on,' study co-author Francis Boscoe, told LiveScience.
Created by the New York State Cancer Registry, the map shows how the flu is the most distinctive cause of death in northern states Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

.But being a 'distinctive' cause of death doesn't necessarily mean it kills the most people. Instead it shows is the cause of death in each state that stands out compared to the national average.In 22 states, the total number of deaths from a 'most distinctive' cause was less than 100.
'Black lung disease' – or pneumoconiosis – which is caused by breathing in certain dusts is a threat in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Meanwhile, Alaska and Idaho, had more 'distinctive deaths' from plane or boat accidents and sepsis infection was the strangest cause of death in New Jersey.

.

superbeets · May 14, 2015

.

HIV was the most distinctive cause of death in Florida, with 15,000 dying from the disease between 2001 to 2010 (left). 'Black lung disease' – or pneumoconiosis – which is caused by breathing in certain dusts, is a threat in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. These also happen to be big mining states (right)

.

HIV was the most distinctive cause of death in Florida, with 15,000 dying from the disease between 2001 to 2010.
The most distinctive cause of death in New York and Connecticut was 'inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs.'
Deaths caused by law enforcement officers, excluding legal executions, accounted for the most distinctive deaths in New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon.
'Although chronic-disease-prevention efforts should continue to emphasise the most common [national] conditions, an outlier map such as this one should also be of interest to public health professionals,' the researchers wrote in their report.
To create the map, the researchers began with a list of 113 causes of death from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For every state, the scientists determined the rate of death from each cause, and divided this by the rate of death from that cause in the US.
'A limitation of this map is that it depicts only one distinctive cause of death for each state. All of these were significantly higher than the national rate,' the researchers wrote.
'But here were many others also significantly higher than the national rate that were not mapped.'

.

superbeets · May 14, 2015

State	Most distinctive cause of death from 2001-2010
Alabama	Accidental discharge of firearms. (348 deaths)
Alaska	Water, air and space, and other and unspecified transport accidents and their sequelae. (270 deaths)
Arizona	Discharge of firearms, undetermined intent. (147 deaths)
Arkansas	Discharge of firearms, undetermined intent. (73 deaths)
California	Hyperplasia of prostate. (937 deaths)
Colorado	Atherosclerosis. (3457 deaths)
Connecticut	Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs. (19 deaths)
Delaware	Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, so described. (3299 deaths)
District of Columbia	Human immunodeficiency virus. (1977 deaths)
Florida	Human immunodeficiency virus. (15563 deaths)
Georgia	Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified. (18434 deaths)
Hawaii	Other nutritional deficiencies. (26 deaths)
Idaho	Water, air and space, and other and unspecified transport accidents and their sequelae. (207 deaths)
Illinois	Other disorders of kidney. (12 deaths)
Indiana	Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent. (1717 deaths)
Iowa	Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections. (26 deaths)
Kansas	Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections. (46 deaths)
Kentucky	Pneumoconioses and chemical effects. (449 deaths)
Louisiana	Syphilis. (22 deaths)
Maine	Influenza. (154 deaths)
Maryland	Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent and their sequelae. (6588 deaths)
Massachusetts	Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent and their sequelae. (3077 deaths)
Michigan	Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, so described. (37292 deaths)
Minnesota	Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections. (28 deaths)
Mississippi	Other and unspecified malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue. (18 deaths)
Missouri	Meningococcal infection. (31 deaths)
Montana	Acute and rapidly progressive nephritic and nephrotic syndrome. (11 deaths)
Nebraska	Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections. (32 deaths)
Nevada	Legal intervention. (82 deaths)
New Hampshire	Other nutritional deficiencies. (14 deaths)
New Jersey	Septicemia. (18353 deaths)
New Mexico	Legal intervention. (77 deaths)
New York	Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs. (97 deaths)
North Carolina	Other nutritional deficiencies. (103 deaths)
North Dakota	Influenza. (83 deaths)
Ohio	Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections. (73 deaths)
Oklahoma	Other acute ischemic heart diseases. (8623 deaths)
Oregon	Legal intervention. (110 deaths)
Pennsylvania	Pneumoconioses and chemical effects. (1470 deaths)
Rhode Island	Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent and their sequelae. (589 deaths)
South Carolina	Other acute ischemic heart diseases. (2094 deaths)
South Dakota	Influenza. (141 deaths)
Tennessee	Accidental discharge of firearms. (336 deaths)
Texas	Tuberculosis. (679 deaths)
Utah	Other and unspecified events of undetermined intent and their sequelae. (2380 deaths)
Vermont	Other nutritional deficiencies. (16 deaths)
Virginia	Other acute ischemic heart diseases. (5136 deaths)
Washington	Meningococcal infection. (47 deaths)
West Virginia	Pneumoconioses and chemical effects. (882 deaths)
Wisconsin	Other and unspecified acute lower respiratory infections. (26 deaths)
Wyoming	Influenza. (49 deaths)