According to Wikipedia, a non-communicable disease, or NCD, is a medical condition or disease that can be defined as non-infectious and non-transmissible among people. The basic causes of NCD are unknown and for that reason, we cannot say for sure that NCD are not caused by infections. Multiple epidemiological studies have, for example, established positive associations between the risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality and markers of infection(1).

However, what we definitely do know about NCD is that they are not transmittable between humans. In this way, NCD are similar to malaria, which can be transmitted to humans only from the mosquito and not in a natural way between humans. Similarly, NCD could be caused by zoonoses, transmitted to humans from animals. In my book, Parasites of Health, I suggest that NCD are caused by infections with Taenia and Toxocara larvae in our body tissues. These infections are transmitted to humans from canids such as dogs and felines such as cats, – and – are not transmittable between humans.

1. Rosenfeld ME, Campbell LA. Pathogens and atherosclerosis: Update on the potential contribution of multiple infectious organisms to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Thromb Haemost 2011;106:858-67.

2. Rosenfeld ME. Inflammation and atherosclerosis: direct versus indirect mechanisms. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2013;13:154-160.