cross-posted from article:
The CDC has warned of a new ‘nightmare’ bacteria called CRE, but it’s not the only treatment-resistant bug you need to know about.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of a “nightmare” bacteria that is making its way through U.S. hospitals and causing infections that are deadly in half of all cases. The bacteria, carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE), is related to E. coli and is antibiotic resistant — meaning that patients who contract the disease are often left without any treatment options.
But CRE is not the only treatment-resistant superbug out there. As antibiotic overuse continues, resistant bugs could become a problem that we have no solution for, says Steve Solomon MD, director of the CDC’s Office of Antimicrobial Resistance.
“The principal driver of antibiotic resistance is the use of antibiotics,” Solomon says. “The more antibiotics that are used, the more the bacteria become resistant to them. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of the antibiotics used in the United States don’t need to be used. Some studies suggest that a third to a half of all antibiotics given to people in the U.S. may be unnecessary or used inappropriately.”
Here are several treatment-resistant superbugs that represent potentially serious public health risks.
Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE): A Threat to Hospital Patients
Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is an antibiotic-resistant bacteria related to E. coli that has recently been found among very ill patients in hospitals and care facilities around the country. Not only is CRE resistant to all or nearly all antibiotics, it is also able to transfer that resistance to other bacteria in its “family,” meaning that it could potentially make bacteria such as E. coli or salmonella antibiotic resistant as well.
CRE are nightmare bacteria. Our strongest antibiotics don’t work and patients are left with potentially untreatable infections,” CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, said in a press release.
The good news, according to the CDC, is that CRE has not yet become an epidemic, although the incidence rate has increased from 1 to 2 percent over the past decade.
Methicillin-Tesistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA): Another Hospital Threat
Gonorrhea: A Growing Threat in the United States
Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis: Spreading Worldwide
Urinary Tract Infections: 20 Percent Are Treatment Resistant
Antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections have started making an appearance in the United States, according to a report by Extending the Cure and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. UTIs, which are often caused by E. coli, cause frequent and painful urination, abdominal pain, and sometimes fever, and can be deadly if left untreated. Approximately 20 percent of all UTIs in the United States are resistant to at least one type of antibiotic, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“Without proper antibiotic treatment, UTIs can turn into bloodstream infections, which are much more serious and can be life-threatening,” Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of Extending the Cure, said in a statement. “These findings are especially disturbing because there are few new antibiotics to replace the ones that are becoming less effective.”
