According to the CDC, antibacterial resistance is one of the most serious health threats that the United states ­ and the world ­ faces. As more and more bacteria strains develop resistance to both first and second line antibiotic treatments, doctors are forced to use options that may be more toxic to the patient. In some cases ­ as with Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae ­ antibiotic resistance completely undermines our abilities to fight infection.

The CDC estimates that over two million people are stricken each year with antibiotic resistant bacterial infections, although this may be a low estimate as the outbreaks increase in frequency and infections spread. Of these 2 million, over 23,000 people die as a direct result of an antibiotic superbug infection, while many many more die from other conditions that were complicated by the infection.

As of 2015, the most dangerous of these superbug bacteria are still considered to be Healthcare Acquired infections (HAI) and are contained to hospital and other health care settings. Thus, the most at risk group of people are those with chronic illness ­ such as cancer ­ and those undergoing surgical procedures. Still, anyone who has visited a hospital or works in one may be at risk. Should any of these bacteria make the jump from HAI to community­acquired infection, EVERYONE will be at risk.

Cost of Superbug Outbreaks

Threat Levels

Urgent Threats

Clostridium difficile

Carbapenem­resitant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)

Drug­resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Serious Threats

Multidrug­ resistant Acinetobacter

Drug­resistant Campylobacter

Fluconazole­resitant Candida

Extended spectrum B­lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBLs)

Vancomycin­resistant Enterococcus (VRE)

Multidrug­resistant Pseudomanas aeruginosa

Drug­resistant Salmonella Typhi

Drug­resistant Shigella

Methicillin­resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Drug­Hesitant Streptococcus pneumoniae

Drug­resistant tuberculosis

Concerning Threats

Vancomycin­resitant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)

Erythromycin­resistant Group A Streptococcus

Clindamycin­resistan Group B Streptococcus

 

 

http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/ar­threats­2013­508.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cre/TrackingCRE.html

http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality­patient­safety/patient­safety-
resources/resources/cretoolkit/

http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/feb2014/feature1