US hospitals and nursing homes are breeding grounds for deadly superbugs – CDC

Drug-resistant infections kill over 50,000 Americans annually, with 80% of deaths occurring in healthcare facilities, a report finds More than four in five US deaths linked to drug-resistant infections involve pathogens commonly associated with hospitals and nursing homes, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The agency’s Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report released this week draws on data from 2023 and estimates that 19 types of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths annually in the US. Seven bacterial threats commonly associated with hospitals and nursing homes accounted for more than 42,000 of those deaths, along with nearly $12 billion in healthcare costs.Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs develop the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them, making infections difficult or impossible to treat. Elderly people, those with weakened immune systems, and patients undergoing invasive medical procedures are particularly vulnerable. Among the pathogens classified as urgent threats is Candida auris, a potentially deadly fungus that can resist multiple medications and survive on su...