Nisha Pandey

Health and Me

Gonorrhoea, Candida Auris Among 4 Urgent Drug-Resistant Threats: CDC Reports 50,800 US Deaths A Year

The <span>US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</span> (<span>CDC</span>) recently released a report that stated drug-resistant infections are causing an estimated 50,800 deaths and 9.7 million infections annually in the United States.

Common bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics but some germs develop the ability to resist the medicines designed to fight them. This is a grave threat to public health.

The agency has classified four pathogens as urgent threats, warning that resistance to antibiotics and antifungal medicines is making some infections difficult to treat.

The CDC’s 2026 <em>Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report</em>, released on October 27, is based on data from 2023. It examines 19 drug-resistant bacterial and fungal threats, categorising them as urgent, serious or concerning based on factors including their effects, spread, preventability and the availability of effective treatments.

“<a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/drug-resistant-shigella-rising-in-us-uk-why-sexually-transmitted-diarrhea-is-harder-to-treat-article-156301503" data-type="tilCustomLink">Antimicrobial resistance</a> threatens modern medicine and puts millions of Americans at risk every year,” CDC Director Dr <span>Erica Schwartz</span> said in a statement.

<h2>Drug-Resistant Pathogens That Pose The Greatest Risks</h2>

The federal health agency has identified the following four pathogens as requiring urgent and aggressive action.

<a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/cladophialophora-bantiana-us-cdc-flags-surge-in-deadly-brain-fungus-cases-article-156286674" data-type="tilCustomLink">Candida auris</a>, a fungus that can cause severe infections, includes potentially fatal bloodstream infections, particularly in people who are already seriously ill. It is a major concern in hospitals and nursing homes because it can be transmitted through contaminated surfaces and medical equipment like catheters, and some strains resist multiple antifungal medicines.

The CDC recorded 4,523 cases in the United States in 2023. Cases increased by more than 50% between 2022 and 2023, according to the report.

People can carry the fungus on their skin without developing symptoms, allowing it to spread in healthcare environments.

<h3>Drug-resistant <span rel="noindex"><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/gonorrhoea">gonorrhoea</a></span></h3>

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The infection can be treated with antibiotics, but the bacterium has developed resistance to several medicines.

The CDC estimates that approximately 787,000 drug-resistant gonorrhoea infections occurred in the US in 2023. Untreated gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and other reproductive complications.

The growing resistance leaves healthcare providers with fewer reliable treatment options, making surveillance and the development of new antibiotics important.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/its-the-best-studied-vaccine-in-human-history-former-cdc-adviser-busts-common-myths-about-covid-vaccines-article-156402480" data-type="tilCustomLink">'It’s The Best-Studied Vaccine In Human History': Former CDC Adviser Busts Common Myths About COVID Vaccines</a>

<h3>Carbapenem-resistant <span rel="noindex">Enterobacterales</span> (CRE)</h3>

CRE are a group of bacteria, including some strains of <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/fda-expands-recall-of-frozen-berries-after-e-coli-outbreak-left-17-sick-article-156287937" data-type="tilCustomLink">Escherichia coli</a> and Klebsiella, that resist carbapenems, a powerful class of antibiotics often reserved for difficult-to-treat infections.

These bacteria can cause infections in the bloodstream, lungs and urinary tract. They pose a particular risk to hospital patients, especially those with weakened immune systems, catheters or ventilators.

In 2023, CRE caused an estimated 14,878 infections among hospitalised patients and 1,252 deaths in the US. Drug resistance can leave doctors with few effective treatment options.

<h3>Carbapenem-resistant <span rel="noindex">Acinetobacter</span></h3>

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter is another group of bacteria that can cause serious infections, particularly among critically ill patients in healthcare settings. These include pneumonia, bloodstream infections and infections associated with wounds.

Resistance to carbapenems makes these infections difficult to treat and can increase the risk of complications and death.

<h2>Antimicrobial Resistance Is A Growing Concern</h2>

Gut Health Under Threat? Experts Reveal the Biggest Risks, From Obesity to Cancer

The CDC is also monitoring six more kinds of germs. One is drug-resistant ringworm, a fungal skin infection that is becoming harder to treat with standard fungal medications. The health body says misusing over-the-counter antifungal creams and using steroid-antifungal cream combinations may contribute to resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, fungi and other pathogens develop the ability to survive medicines designed to kill them or stop their growth. This can happen through genetic changes and the spread of resistance mechanisms between microbes. The unnecessary or inappropriate use of antimicrobial medicines can accelerate the process.

The consequences extend beyond infections themselves. Drug resistance can prolong hospital stays, increase healthcare costs and make procedures like surgery, cancer treatment and organ transplantation riskier because these depend on effective medicines to treat infections.

Infections commonly associated with healthcare settings accounted for more than 42,000 deaths and nearly $12 billion in US healthcare costs in 2023, according to the report.

The <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/1-in-5-us-lung-cancer-patients-never-smoked-report-highlights-hidden-risk-factors-article-156400245" data-type="tilCustomLink">CDC</a> also reported progress in some areas. Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium associated with severe diarrhoea and often linked to antibiotic use, was downgraded from an urgent to a serious threat. The agency attributed the change partly to improvements in infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship.

However, the CDC cautioned that its methods and data sources changed substantially since its previous report. The latest estimates therefore cannot be directly compared with older figures to determine how much the overall burden has increased.

<h2>How To Prevent Antibiotic Resistance?</h2>

The CDC recommends using antibiotics only when prescribed by a healthcare professional and taking them exactly as directed. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections like the common cold or flu.

Hand hygiene, vaccinations, infection-control measures in healthcare environments including appropriate prescribing practices can also help limit the spread of resistant pathogens.

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report that stated drug-resistant infections are causing an estimated 50,800 deaths and 9.7 million infections annually in the United States.Common bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics but some germs develop the ability to resist the medicines designed to fight them. This is a grave threat to public health. The agency has classified four pathogens as urgent threats, warning that resistance to antibiotics and antifungal medicines is making some infections difficult to treat.The CDC’s 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report, released on October 27, is based on data from 2023. It examines 19 drug-resistant bacterial and fungal threats, categorising them as urgent, serious or concerning based on factors including their effects, spread, preventability and the availability of effective treatments.“Antimicrobial resistance threatens modern medicine and puts millions of Americans at risk every year,” CDC Director Dr Erica Schwartz said in a statement.Drug-Resistant Pathogens That Pose The Greatest Risks The federal health agency has identified the following four pathogens as requiring urgent and aggressive action.Candida aurisCandida auris, a fungus that can cause severe infections, includes potentially fatal bloodstream infections, particularly in people who are already seriously ill. It is a major concern in hospitals and nursing homes because it can be transmitted through contaminated surfaces and medical equipment like catheters, and some strains resist multiple antifungal medicines.The CDC recorded 4,523 cases in the United States in 2023. Cases increased by more than 50% between 2022 and 2023, according to the report.People can carry the fungus on their skin without developing symptoms, allowing it to spread in healthcare environments. Drug-resistant gonorrhoeaGonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The infection can be treated with antibiotics, but the bacterium has developed resistance to several medicines.The CDC estimates that approximately 787,000 drug-resistant gonorrhoea infections occurred in the US in 2023. Untreated gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and other reproductive complications.The growing resistance leaves healthcare providers with fewer reliable treatment options, making surveillance and the development of new antibiotics important.Also read: 'It’s The Best-Studied Vaccine In Human History': Former CDC Adviser Busts Common Myths About COVID VaccinesCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE)CRE are a group of bacteria, including some strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella, that resist carbapenems, a powerful class of antibiotics often reserved for difficult-to-treat infections.These bacteria can cause infections in the bloodstream, lungs and urinary tract. They pose a particular risk to hospital patients, especially those with weakened immune systems, catheters or ventilators.In 2023, CRE caused an estimated 14,878 infections among hospitalised patients and 1,252 deaths in the US. Drug resistance can leave doctors with few effective treatment options.Carbapenem-resistant AcinetobacterCarbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter is another group of bacteria that can cause serious infections, particularly among critically ill patients in healthcare settings. These include pneumonia, bloodstream infections and infections associated with wounds.Resistance to carbapenems makes these infections difficult to treat and can increase the risk of complications and death.Antimicrobial Resistance Is A Growing ConcernThe CDC is also monitoring six more kinds of germs. One is drug-resistant ringworm, a fungal skin infection that is becoming harder to treat with standard fungal medications. The health body says misusing over-the-counter antifungal creams and using steroid-antifungal cream combinations may contribute to resistance.Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, fungi and other pathogens develop the ability to survive medicines designed to kill them or stop their growth. This can happen through genetic changes and the spread of resistance mechanisms between microbes. The unnecessary or inappropriate use of antimicrobial medicines can accelerate the process.The consequences extend beyond infections themselves. Drug resistance can prolong hospital stays, increase healthcare costs and make procedures like surgery, cancer treatment and organ transplantation riskier because these depend on effective medicines to treat infections.Infections commonly associated with healthcare settings accounted for more than 42,000 deaths and nearly $12 billion in US healthcare costs in 2023, according to the report.The CDC also reported progress in some areas. Clostridioides difficile, a bacterium associated with severe diarrhoea and often linked to antibiotic use, was downgraded from an urgent to a serious threat. The agency attributed the change partly to improvements in infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship.However, the CDC cautioned that its methods and data sources changed substantially since its previous report. The latest estimates therefore cannot be directly compared with older figures to determine how much the overall burden has increased.How To Prevent Antibiotic Resistance? The CDC recommends using antibiotics only when prescribed by a healthcare professional and taking them exactly as directed. Antibiotics do not treat viral infections like the common cold or flu.Hand hygiene, vaccinations, infection-control measures in healthcare environments including appropriate prescribing practices can also help limit the spread of resistant pathogens.

gonorrhoea, candida auris among 4 urgent drug-resistant threats: cdc reports 50,800 us deaths a year

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Gonorrhoea, Candida Auris Among 4 Urgent Drug-Resistant Threats: CDC Reports 50,800 US Deaths A Year

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Gonorrhoea, Candida Auris Among 4 Urgent Drug-Resistant Threats: CDC Reports 50,800 US Deaths A Year

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