The number of human deaths is often used as a standard for ranking human diseases in terms of importance. What, if anything, is wrong with this classification scheme? Infectious diseases have obvious...

The number of human deaths is often used as a standard for ranking human diseases in terms of importance. What, if anything, is wrong with this classification scheme?

Infectious diseases have obvious deleterious effects on the infected individual. Are there other consequences that reach beyond the infected person to his or her family and to society as a whole?