Surge in Drug-Resistant Bacteria Cases in the US

This week, scientists issued a concerning warning about a significant increase in infections caused by “nightmare” drug-resistant bacteria in the United States.

Between 2019 and 2023, there has been a staggering 70% rise in patients infected with severe bacterial strains, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers noted a dramatic increase in bacteria carrying the “NDM gene” in their Tuesday report.

Only two antibiotics are capable of treating these infections, and for intravenous patients, the necessary medications can be quite expensive.

Previously considered rare and usually found in a limited number of cases overseas, bacteria with this gene are now becoming more common.

The report indicates that while total cases are still relatively low, infections have surged more than five times across the nation in recent years.

“The rise of NDM in the US poses a serious risk and is very concerning,” stated David Weiss, an infectious disease researcher at Emory University.

Many individuals might unknowingly carry these drug-resistant bacteria, increasing the risk of community spread, Weiss pointed out.

For some time now, patients visiting their doctors for infections typically viewed as easily treatable—like urinary tract infections—might face ongoing complications if bacteria are involved.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when certain bacteria and fungi evolve to withstand the drugs meant to eliminate them, according to scientists.

This growing issue is often exacerbated by improper use of antibiotics, such as not completing a full course or taking unneeded prescriptions that can’t eliminate the bacteria.

The CDC has been highlighting “nightmare bacteria” that show resistance to a wide range of antibiotics, particularly carbapenems, which are critical for treating serious infections.

In 2023, researchers documented 4,341 cases of carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections across 29 states, of which 1,831 involved the NDM gene.

It remains unclear how many infections resulted in fatalities.

The infection rates for carbapenem resistance have risen from less than 2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to over 3 per 100,000 in 2023, marking a 69% increase.

Specifically, NDM cases have surged from about 0.25 to roughly 1.35 per 100,000—a staggering 460% increase, according to the authors.

External researchers suggest that the increased use of antibiotics during the COVID pandemic may have contributed to this escalation.

“Antibiotic use skyrocketed during the pandemic, so we’re likely seeing that reflected in rising drug resistance,” said Dr. Jason Burnham from the University of Washington.

Despite these alarming figures, the CDC acknowledges that their estimates might only represent a fraction of the actual infection rates.

Many states do not comprehensively test or report cases, often limiting tests to hospitalized patients with severe infections.

Some hospitals also lack the capability to adequately test for genetic resistance in bacteria, scientists added.

Notably, the CDC did not have data from some of the largest states, including California, Florida, New York, and Texas.

The June CDC report also highlighted a rise in NDM cases in New York City between 2019 and 2024.