Antimicrobial resistant “Superbugs” are a major cause of infections. The following Superbugs are currently in the news and are listed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Antibiotic Resistance Threat Report. Read more below about each of these “Bugs to Watch”.
Images by the CDC Public Health Image Library.
Bacterial Infection
Bacteria that cause infections in the lungs, urinary tract, wounds, and bloodstream. Typically acquired in a hospital setting.
Why to watch: Resistant to carbapenem, a first-line treatment and, according to the CDC, caused an estimated 8,500 infections in 2017. Featured in the news for being resistant to most antibiotics and in urgent need of new antibiotic development.
Fungal Infections, Healthcare Acquired Infections
A fungus that grows as yeast and can cause many different infections, usually acquired in a hospital setting.
Why to watch: Resistant to most antifungals used to treat this infection. Reported cases increased 318% in 2018 when compared to the average number of cases reported in 2015 to 2017. Currently featured in the news for rapidly spreading through hospitals.
C. Difficile, Bacterial Infection
Bacteria spread by microscopic spores. Clostridium difficile is the former name. The bacteria cause inflammation of the gut or colon – colitis.
Why to watch: Commonly found in healthcare facilities and contagious. There were 223,900 cases in hospitalized patients in 2017, according to the CDC. Known for being classified as an “urgent threat” by the CDC and the subject of new drug trials to treat it.
Group A Strep, Bacterial Infection
A bacterium that can cause many different infections, including strep throat, scarlet fever, pneumonia, sinusitis, and more.
Why to watch: Resistant to erythromycin, 5,400 estimated drug-resistant infections in 2017, according to the CDC. Recently in the news for causing pediatric deaths and atypical symptoms in children.
MRSA Bacterial Infection
A common bacterium that lives on our skin and, most of the time, causes no ill effects, but sometimes causes illness after entering the body through a cut or opening.
Why to watch: Resistant to several antibiotics and commonly found in healthcare settings. There are 323,700 estimated cases in hospitalized patients in 2017, according to the CDC. Known in the news for rapidly spreading in long-term care facilities and in hospitals and connected to rising temperatures due to climate change.
