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CDC's "Biggest Threats" Report for Antibiotic Resistance Highlights Challenge...

Among other things, the holidays are a time for lists, most of the fun or entertaining variety. Think: “Best of” rankings or gift ideas. However, the latest list from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is anything but fun...

Indeed, the latest list includes a few “repeat offenders” from the agency’s first such report, released in 2013. Clostridioides difficile (CDI), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae remain as “urgent threats,” and they are joined by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter and Candida auris.

“CDI has gone down since the last report and continues to decline in hospitals and nursing homes,”…

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Featured

  Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: An Overview...

We will be reviewing 6 of the highest-ranked superbugs. The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2019 (AR Threats Report), puts these superbugs at the top of their list for serious to urgent threats requiring immediate attention.

Articles of Interest

Drug-resistant bacteria killing millions, says study

Malaria and HIV/AIDS are major causes of annual deaths around the world. So it might be surprising to learn that more people died from antibiotic resistant bacterial infections during 2019. That's the conclusion from research which has just been published in the medical journal The Lancet. The analysis from more than 200 countries shows during that year at least 1.2 million people died from antibiotic resistant infections, making it a leading cause of death worldwide.

CDC spotlights 'deadly threat' of antibiotic resistance

CDC Director Robert Redfield, MD, said in a press conference. "A death from antibiotic-resistant infections occurs about every 15 minutes, and a resistant infection occurs every 11 seconds. Antibiotic resistance threatens both our nation's health, and our global security."

A key tool in the race against drug resistance: vaccines

Drug resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health today. Vaccines can help.

Antimicrobial Resistance Threats

A number of pathogens are increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics and antifungals. NIAID is researching infections of growing concern to human health, including pathogens identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as urgent, serious, and concerning threats.

Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance: The Most Critical Pathogens

In light of increasing antibiotic resistance, the WHO published a list of pathogens that includes the pathogens designated by the acronym ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) to which were given the highest “priority status” since they represent the great threat to humans. Understanding the resistance mechanisms of these bacteria is a key step in the development of new antimicrobial drugs to tackle drug-resistant bacteria

Culture of Secrecy Shields Hospitals With Outbreaks of Drug-Resistant Infections

The lack of transparency puts patients at risk, some say. Institutions say disclosure could scare some people away from seeking needed medical care.

Drug-Resistant Infections: A Threat to Our Economic Future

Loss of drug-effectiveness because of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing in both developing and developed countries. If this trend continues unchecked, the world will confront a reality where many infectious diseases have “no cure and no vaccine.”

Five of the scariest antibiotic-resistant bacteria...

Antibiotic resistance risks returning us to an age where even simple cuts and scrapes can become deadly.

Infections from 'nightmare bacteria' on the rise, Victorian hospitals warned

A deadly superbug, which kills half of those infected, has prompted the state health department to ask hospitals to heighten their control measures.

See C. diff campaign

Clostridioides difficile (or C. diff) is the most common healthcare associated infection. Help us stop the spread of this preventable infection.

The Scope of AMR is Greater Than Previously Estimated

The report notes that infections and deaths from organisms often associated with hospitals are steadily declining. However, resistance is increasing in community settings. Resistance to essential antibiotics is also increasing in seven of the 18 organisms. It is also stated that we cannot rely on new antibiotics alone to fix this problem. Generally, only one out of five infectious disease drugs that reach the initial phase of testing in humans end up receiving approval from the FDA.

Types of Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

Some bacteria are naturally resistant to certain types of antibiotics, but most become resistant through a natural genetic mutation or by acquiring resistance genes from other bacteria. When bacteria mate, they transfer their resistance traits. Because bacteria can acquire many resistance traits over time, they can become resistant to different types of antibiotics.

WHO names 12 bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health

Antibiotic resistance could make c-sections, transplants and chemotherapy too dangerous to perform, warns World Health Organisation.

Resources

CDC: 2019 AR Threats Report

The germs are listed in three categories—urgent, serious, and concerning—based on level of concern to human health. The report also includes a Watch List with three threats that have not spread widely in the U.S. but could become common without continued aggressive action.