What is Nightmare Bacteria? Drug-Resistant Superbug Cases Rising Rapidly in the US

Rates of infection from drug-resistant nightmare bacteria have risen more than 70 per cent in the last four years across the United States, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. According to the CDC scientists, these bacteria are difficult to treat due to the NDM gene, which primarily drives the increase. In the study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, experts say only two antibiotics work against those infections, and the drugs are expensive and must be administered through an IV. Bacteria with the gene were once considered exotic as they were linked to a small number of patients who received medical care overseas. Researchers reported that even though the numbers are still small, the rate

of US cases has jumped more than fivefold in recent years. Scientists also believe that many people can be carriers of the drug-resistant bacteria, which could lead to community spread.

How does antimicrobial resistance occur?

According to scientists, antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs like bacteria and fungi gain the power to fight off the drugs designed to kill them. The misuse of antibiotics has been a big reason for this rise, and unfinished or unnecessary prescriptions that did not eliminate the germs have only made them stronger. In the last few years, the CDC has talked a lot about nightmare bacteria, which are resistant to a wide range of antibiotics, including carbapenems, a class of antibiotics considered a last resort for treatment of serious infections. The latest data from 29 states includes the necessary testing and reporting of carbapenem-resistant bacteria. According to the data, more than 4,000 cases of carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections from those states in 2023, with 1,831 of them the NDM variety. However, the number of fatalities has not been disclosed. The rate of carbapenem-resistant infections rose from just under 2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to more than 3 per 100,000 in 2023 — an increase of 69 per cent. But the rate of NDM cases rose from around 0.25 to about 1.35 — a spike of 460 per cent, the authors said.

The CDC count does not include real numbers

According to authorities, the CDC’s count is only a partial picture, as many states are not fully testing and reporting cases. According to experts, even in states that do, cases tend to be among hospital patients sick enough to warrant special testing. Many hospitals are not able to do the testing needed to detect certain forms of genetic resistance. The CDC researchers do not have any kind of data from some of the most populous states, which include California, Florida, New York, and Texas. It means the absolute number of US infections may be underestimated. This is not the first study to report a rise, as previously, in June, a CDC report noted an increase in NDM cases in New York City between 2019 and 2024.