ENEMY AT THE GATES

U.S. Warned of ‘Grave Danger’ as ‘Nightmare Bacteria’ Cases Surge

Doctor warns that everyday infections could become far harder to treat.

Antibiotic-resistant “nightmare bacteria” infections have risen by 69 percent in the U.S., a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Patients with bacteria that can resist powerful last-ditch antibiotics, known as carbapenems, increased from two per 100,000 cases to three per 100,000 between 2019 and 2023. Driving the growth are bacteria with an antibiotic-resistant gene called NDMs, which rose nearly five-fold in the study, from 0.25 to 1.35 per 100,000, a jump of 460 percent. Study author Dr. Maroya Walters warned that the rise could make everyday infections far harder to treat. Published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the research cautioned that misuse of antibiotics has contributed to the increase of the microorganisms once regarded as rare and predominantly observed abroad. Infectious disease researcher David Weiss, of Atlanta’s Emory University, told the Associated Press the report’s findings present “a grave danger,” and are “very worrisome.” The picture may be bleaker still, with satisfactory data only taken from the 29 states—excluding California, Florida, New York, and Texas, all with large populations. In a separate June study, the CDC also reported a rise in NDMs in New York City from 2019 to 2024.