Germs that can’t be treated with even the strongest antibiotics cause more than 50,000 deaths in the United States per year, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What the CDC Found
The agency’s Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report, which tracks pathogens that are becoming a growing threat to Americans, was released Oct. 27 for the first time in seven years. It lists drug-resistant bacteria and medication-resistant fungi, including four categorized as “urgent,” 13 as “serious threats” and two as “concerning threats.”
The 19 bacterial and fungal threats included in the report caused an estimated 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths annually in the United States, it found, and drug-resistant infections caught in healthcare settings accounted for over 42,000 deaths and created more than $12 billion in costs.
These numbers represent a significant uptick from the last such report in 2019, which confirmed 2.8 million infections. The CDC noted, however, that its methodologies and data sources have changed, so these reports may not be a one-to-one comparison.
“These numbers are alarming by any measure but are particularly sobering when infectious diseases physicians connect real patients with these statistics in their everyday experience,” Wendy S. Armstrong, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in a statement. “Drug-resistant infections prolong hospital stays, drive up health care costs and make it increasingly difficult — and sometimes impossible — for doctors to safely provide care like cancer chemotherapy, organ transplants, hip and knee replacements, and other medical care and surgeries.”
The overuse or misuse of antibiotics was noted as a major driver behind the rise of drug-resistant germs, also known as “superbugs.” Sometimes, medications we use to treat certain illnesses stop working when germs change. Microorganisms like bacteria can mutate to become less sensitive, or even immune, to certain treatments, either naturally or in response to improper medication use.
“Antimicrobial resistance threatens modern medicine and puts millions of Americans at risk every year,” CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz said in a statement.
The Most Urgent Threats, According to the CDC
These four germs were categorized as “urgent” by the CDC, meaning they are the biggest threats to Americans’ health.
- Candida auris (C. auris): C. auris is a fungus that grows as a budding yeast and most commonly spreads in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and long-term care facilities. It spreads through direct contact with an infected person or contaminated surface. It isn’t naturally occurring on your body like some other types of Candida.
- The fungus can cause serious illness, ranging from mild skin infections to life-threatening sepsis, USA TODAY previously reported. Generally speaking, people with a healthy immune system can fight off a C. auris infection, but those with weakened immune systems are at risk.
- C. auris infection cases have increased every year since 2019, with the largest annual jump occurring between 2022 and 2023, when cases rose 53.7%. As of Oct. 17, the United States has reported 6,762 confirmed cases, exceeding the 6,560 cases reported during all of last year. While the total number of detected infections has grown annually, the CDC said the rate of increase has declined since 2022-2023.
- Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE): Earning itself the title of “Nightmare bacteria,” CRE is a class of bacteria that have become resistant to carbapenems, some of the most powerful, broad-spectrum antibiotics often used to treat infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. “Enterobacterales” are a class of bacteria naturally present in human and animal digestive tracts, but can also cause infections, USA TODAY previously reported.
- CRE is often associated with hospital stays and clinical settings and can be spread from contact with contaminated hands, wounds, or poop, as well as contaminated medical equipment and devices.
- A 2025 CDC warning noted a sharp rise in these types of infections. An accompanying study found a 69% increase in carbapenem-resistant infections between 2019 and 2023 and attributed the increase to the NDM gene being present in large quantities of bacteria. This gene produces an enzyme that increases antibiotic resistance; the study discovered a 460% increase in NDM-CRE infections between 2019 and 2023.
- Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter: Another class of bacteria like the CRE mentioned above. Also resistant to powerful carbapenems, the “Acinetobacter” in the name refers to a type of bacteria that is common in the environment and on surfaces, including human skin. According to the CDC, it can cause infection almost anywhere in the body, including the lungs, wounds, urinary tract, and blood.
- Like the aforementioned CRE, it is most commonly found in healthcare settings, such as hospitals or nursing homes. It is transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces and equipment, and people can carry and spread the bacteria without knowing it.
- Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the bacterium that causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. One of the most common STIs in the United States, gonorrhea can cause several more serious illnesses when untreated, including pelvic inflammatory disease, life-threatening ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Because it is treated with antibiotics, the high number of infections has led to widespread drug resistance.
- 543,409 cases of gonorrhea were confirmed in the United States in 2024, according to CDC data, which was actually a 9.6-point decrease compared to 2023. While numbers peaked in 2021 at 710,151, total infections dropped by 19.8 percentage points over the past five years.
Other ‘Serious Threats’
The “serious threats” category is larger than its predecessor, but contains a few notable points.
C. diff (Clostridioides difficile), one of the most feared infections in healthcare settings, was downgraded to a “serious threat” as opposed to an “urgent one” after years of public health efforts to curb its spread.
Drug-resistant forms of salmonella, shigella, strep, meningococcus and tuberculosis were also on the list of concerns. Unlike most germs on the “urgent” list, some of these appear outside healthcare settings. Meningococcus, for example, is usually transmitted from person to person via kissing, sharing drinks or other close contact in day-to-day settings; meanwhile, drug-resistant Shigella recently made the news for its sexually transmissible nature.
The report likewise included successful initiatives by the CDC and other health agencies to limit and reduce the spread and development of drug-resistant pathogens, such as the campaign to curb C. diff.
“This data shows both the progress we’ve made and the significant work that remains,” Schwartz said. “High-quality data help drive action and CDC is committed to providing easily accessible information to help protect people from drug-resistant infections.”
How to Protect Yourself
Practicing good hygiene is the best way to prevent contracting or spreading many of the infections on the list. Thoroughly washing your hands with soap and running water after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or caring for a sick person, before and after handling or eating food and before and after engaging in sex is the surest way to stay safe, says the CDC.
Reporting by Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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