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2h ago

CDC Reports Sharp U.S. Increase in Drug-Resistant ‘Nightmare Bacteria’

Limited testing in many states likely understates the threat.

FILE - A sign marks the entrance to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters Aug. 27, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
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Overview

  • A CDC analysis of 2019–2023 data from 29 states found carbapenem-resistant infections rose 69% to just over 3 per 100,000 people.
  • NDM-producing strains drove the rise, with rates up about 460% and 1,831 of 4,341 carbapenem-resistant cases recorded in 2023.
  • Only two intravenous antibiotics are currently effective against NDM infections, making care costly and clinically challenging.
  • Surveillance remains patchy, as data from populous states including California, Florida, New York, and Texas were not captured and many hospitals cannot perform needed resistance testing.
  • Researchers caution that many people may carry these bacteria without symptoms, raising the risk of community spread, and outside experts link part of the increase to heavy antibiotic use during the COVID-19 pandemic.