"Infection rates from drug-resistant "nightmare bacteria" rose almost 70% between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists. Bacteria that are difficult to treat due to the so-called NDM gene primarily drove the increase, CDC researchers wrote in an article published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Only two antibiotics work against those infections, and the drugs are expensive and must be administered through an IV, researchers said."
""It's likely many people are unrecognized carriers of the drug-resistant bacteria, which could lead to community spread," the CDC scientists said. That may play out in doctors' offices across the country, as infections long considered routine and easy to treat - like urinary tract infections - could become chronic problems, said Dr. Maroya Walters, one of the report's authors. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs such as bacteria and fungi gain the power to fight off the drugs designed to kill them."
Drug-resistant bacterial infections in the United States increased nearly 70% from 2019 to 2023. The surge was driven mainly by strains carrying the NDM gene, which have limited treatment options—only two antibiotics remain effective, both costly and requiring IV administration. NDM-containing bacteria shifted from rare, travel-associated cases to a more widespread presence in the U.S., with case rates rising more than fivefold. Many carriers are likely unrecognized, increasing the risk of community spread and turning routine infections like urinary tract infections into chronic, harder-to-treat conditions. Misuse and incomplete courses of antibiotics contributed to the rise.
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