The 'post-antibiotic era' is here: Drug-resistant superbugs sicken 2.8M and kill 35K each year

Ken Alltucker | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Drug-resistant superbugs kill 35,000 each year A dire warning from medical experts say we’re living in a post-antibiotic era, as drug-resistant superbugs are killing over 35,000 people a year.

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Drug-resistant "superbugs" infect 2.8 million people and cause more than 35,000 deaths each year, underscoring the enormous public health threat of germs in what one official describes as a "post-antibiotic era," according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

The report, which analyzes electronic health records and other data, shows an infection every 11 seconds and a death every 15 minutes on average from bugs that resist treatment from antibiotics. The CDC said there are nearly twice as many deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections compared to the agency's 2013 report, which likely underestimated the numbers.

In a letter accompanying the report, CDC Director Robert Redfield urged the public to "stop referring to a coming post-antibiotic era – it’s already here," with drug-resistant bugs in every U.S. state and around the globe.

"You and I are living in a time when some miracle drugs no longer perform miracles and families are being ripped apart by a microscopic enemy," Redfield wrote.

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The report establishes a new baseline of infections and deaths from antibiotic-resistant germs and categorizes emerging threats as urgent, serious or concerning. It is part of a broad public health effort to prevent infections in health-care facilities, promote responsible use of antibiotics in humans and animals and halt the spread of new, dangerous germs.

The report identified 18 bacteria and fungi public health officials must monitor, including five bugs described as "urgent threats."

Those threats include two emerging bugs: Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus that began spreading among hospital and nursing home patients in the United States in 2015, and carbapenem-resistant acinetobacter, which can cause pneumonia and other infections in hospital intensive care units.

The other three threats include the "nightmare bacteria" carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE), antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea and clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, a common infection in hospitals and long-term care settings.

The tally of annual infections and deaths becomes even more dramatic when C. diff is included. The infection is rarely resistant to antibiotics but can cause deadly diarrhea and is often diagnosed in people who are taking antibiotics. About 12,800 people died and more than 223,000 people were infected with this germ in 2017, the report said.

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The number of C. diff infections in hospitals and nursing homes declined in recent years amid more careful efforts to use antibiotics, control infections and improve cleaning and disinfection. Still, the number of cases outside health-care facilities increased.

CDC highlights progress against 'superbugs'

In addition to those germs now circulating in the United States, the report identified a watch list of three germs with the potential to spread in the U.S. and create significant sickness and death.

The CDC also described progress in fighting superbugs, particularly with heightened awareness among hospitals and health providers. Hospital deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections dropped 28% from 2012 to 2017.

Greg Frank, an infectious disease expert at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, said the report is a "really good first step" to describe and identify the worldwide challenge of curbing drug-resistant infections.

He said medical records helped produce more accurate figures than the CDC's 2013 report, but he still thinks some cases likely will be missed. He cited a hypothetical example of a cancer patient who dies after acquiring a drug-resistant infection. The cause of death might be listed as cancer when the actual cause was infection.

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Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine estimated drug-resistant infections might kill as many as 162,000 Americans each year.

Still, Frank says the report should serve as a catalyst to fund and pursue programs to slow the threat.

"I think the picture is only going to get worse," Frank said. "I hope this would drive action."

Representatives of doctors groups such as Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America said the report highlights both areas of concern and reasons for optimism.

“This data is exciting because it shows that we are not powerless against antibiotic resistance," said Hilary Babcock, president of the group, whose members include hospital epidemiologists, infection prevention specialists, researchers and pharmacists.

"We must continue to fund and support effective infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship programs in every healthcare setting and use every tool we have to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance.”