A brief history of superbugs
A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that superbug infections remain a huge threat despite progress in the field.
For those who don’t know, there’s nothing super about superbugs. They are strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to numerous types of antibiotics. As such, infections of this kind are notoriously difficult to treat and are a growing cause of death and disability.
Indeed, the CDC states in its report ─ Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States ─ that, in the US, someone dies from a superbug EVERY 15 MINUTES, with more than 2.8 million antibiotic resistant infections occurring in the US each year, causing more than 35,000 deaths. These terrifying statistics illustrate the scope of the problem. Antibiotics that were once effective are no longer working, and people are dying as a result. As the report states: "Some miracle drugs no longer perform miracles."
This data is exciting because it shows that we are not powerless against antibiotic resistance
Although the overuse of antibiotics is undeniably problematic, there are other factors at play, and efforts to curtail the spread of superbugs require multiple components. "It's not just new antibiotics that we need. We also need new vaccines, new diagnostics and other new tools to help doctors better treat their patients or better prevent infections in the first place," said Michael Craig, Senior Advisor for Antibiotic Resistance at the CDC.
The report also identifies three threats that have not spread resistance widely in the US but could become common without a ‘continued aggressive approach’.
All hope is not lost, though. The report states that, despite a rise in prevalence, since 2013 there has been an 18-per-cent drop in deaths from all types of antibiotic infections overall, and a nearly 30-per-cent-drop in hospitals. “This data is exciting because it shows that we are not powerless against antibiotic resistance," said Dr Hilary Babcock, President of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
This progress is thanks to, in part, CDC investments in public health infrastructure and collaborating with partners to improve the use of antibiotics. Through its Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative, CDC is investing in national infrastructure to detect, respond, contain, and prevent resistant infections across healthcare settings, food, and communities.
Ultimately, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest health challenges of our time, and without a collaborative global approach across all sectors, it may not be contained. "[This] success is undoubtedly due to public health and healthcare professionals who stand up to this threat every day, as well as every state public health department ... and other federal agencies committed to take action against it," stated Dr Robert Redfield, CDC Director.
Hopefully, with continued focus and collaboration, the threat of superbugs can be eradicated.