Drug-resistant germs are causing nearly 10 million infections and more than 50,000 deaths in the US each year, the CDC warns in a sweeping new report on "superbugs." The agency identifies 19 pathogens of concern, with four labeled "urgent" threats: the fast-spreading hospital fungus Candida auris; two families of bacteria that can defeat last-resort antibiotics (carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter and Enterobacterales); and drug-resistant gonorrhea. Hospital-linked infections alone account for over 42,000 deaths and almost $12 billion in annual costs, the Washington Post reports.
Clostridioides difficile, which can cause life-threatening colon inflammation, was listed as an urgent threat in 2019 but has now been downgraded to serious. Scientists say the landscape is shifting, not easing, the Post reports. C. auris infections have jumped more than tenfold since 2019, drug-resistant meningitis has been bumped up to a "serious" threat, and six additional pathogens—ranging from ringworm-causing fungi to whooping cough bacteria—have landed on a federal watch list.
"Antimicrobial resistance threatens modern medicine and puts millions of Americans at risk every year," CDC Director Erica Schwartz said in a statement. "This data shows both the progress we've made and the significant work that remains." Experts tell ABC News that an "arms race," starting with penicillin, has been going on since the 1940s, with bacteria developing mutations that allow them to withstand antibiotics, leaving doctors with fewer options. Medical professionals recommend taking steps to avoid infections, including washing hands regularly and staying up to date with vaccinations.
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