Key points
- NDM gene drives infection surge
- Few antibiotics work, all intravenous
- COVID pandemic worsened drug resistance
NEW YORK: Infection rates from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” rose by nearly 70 per cent between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report by scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Infections from dangerous bacteria that are resistant to “some of the strongest antibiotics available” have surged in the United States, according to the CDC.
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The rise is largely driven by bacteria carrying the NDM gene, which are particularly hard to treat. Only two expensive, IV-administered antibiotics are effective against them, CDC researchers noted in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reports AP News.
Previously considered rare and linked to overseas medical care, NDM bacteria have seen a fivefold increase in the US in recent years. Though overall case numbers remain low, the surge is alarming. “The rise of NDMs in the US is a grave danger and very worrisome,” said David Weiss, an infectious diseases expert from Emory University.
“Nightmare Bacteria cases rose by 70% in America”
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CDC scientists warned that many people may unknowingly carry the bacteria, raising the risk of community spread. Infections previously considered minor — such as urinary tract infections — could become more difficult to treat, noted report co-author Dr Maroya Walters.
Antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria and fungi evolve to withstand drugs meant to kill them, often due to misuse of antibiotics, such as unfinished or unnecessary prescriptions.
The CDC has long warned about “nightmare bacteria” resistant to multiple antibiotics, especially carbapenems — a last-resort treatment for serious infections.
A new CDC report “highlights a dramatic increase in a dangerous type of drug-resistant bacteria called NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE)..
in 2020 there were approximately 12,700 infections and 1,100 deaths in the U.S. due to CRE..
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Data from 29 states in 2023 revealed 4,341 cases of carbapenem-resistant infections, 1,831 of which involved the NDM gene. The infection rate rose from under 2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to over 3 in 2023 — a 69% rise. NDM cases jumped 460%, from 0.25 to 1.35 per 100,000.
Experts believe the COVID-19 pandemic played a role, with a spike in antibiotic use fuelling resistance. However, limited testing means total infections are likely underreported, especially as data from major states like California and New York were not included.
