Gun accidents set Tennessee apart from other states

The most distinctive cause of death in Tennessee is the accidental discharge of firearms, according to new mapping data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There were 336 accidental gun deaths in Tennessee between 2001 and 2010.

Accidental gun deaths aren't the main cause of death in Tennessee. Heart disease typically ranks as the leading cause of death in the state each year. The CDC data instead focused on causes of death in each state that veer most widely from the national average.

In Louisiana, that makes syphilis the most distinctive cause of death, although the sexually transmitted disease represents just 22 deaths.

In Alaska, it's water, air, space and other unspecified transportation incidents, which led to 270 deaths.

In North Carolina, "nutritional deficiencies" proved to be the state's the most distinctive fatality, accounting for 103 deaths.

And in Washington, D.C., it is HIV, which claimed the lives of 1,977 individuals.

Tennessee is one of four states to have accidental gun deaths as the most distinctive cause of death. The three other states are Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas.

The new data, compiled from statistics published by the National Center for Health Statistics, is designed "to present a more nuanced view of mortality variation within the United States," according to the CDC.

Reach Anita Wadhwani at 615-259-8092 or on Twitter @AnitaWadhwani.