While our immune systems typically do a great job containing pathogens and clearing infections, they can occasionally overreact. When the immune response to infection becomes excessive, it causes rapid, widespread organ damage in a life-threatening condition called sepsis. Worldwide, sepsis imposes significant social, economic, and health costs. Estimates put global cases of sepsis at 50 million per year, resulting in over 11 million deaths annually.
This article was originally published on MedicalXpress.com