The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s updated report, Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States 2019, shows an 18 percent reduction in deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections since the report’s initial publication in 2013.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi cause more than 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths in the United States annually. The report includes updated 2013 statistics and, for the first time, uses electronic health data from hospitals to calculate infection and death rates. The report also includes a threat list of 18 antibiotic-resistant germs, a watch list of three germs CDC is monitoring, and resistance trends.
Of note, CDC reports that drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections have doubled since 2013, and the agency has added drug-resistant Candida auris and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter to its list of urgent threats.
The agency encourages health care providers to practice rapid detection and prevention strategies, including the CDC Containment Strategy, to stop the spread of emerging threats. The CDC continues to invest in antibiotic stewardship programs around the country through the AR Solutions Initiative.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
