In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have measured a troubling shift in the American landscape of infection: between 2019 and 2023, infections from so-called nightmare bacteria carrying the NDM gene rose by nearly seventy percent. Such organisms have long unsettled infectious disease specialists because they resist standard antibiotics, leaving only two remaining drugs, both costly and both requiring intravenous delivery. The deeper unease lies in what remains unseen, since the agency suspects many carriers have
CDC Reports 70% Rise in Drug-Resistant 'Nightmare Bacteria' Infections in US, 2019 to 2023
Patients with NDM-driven drug-resistant infections face limited treatment options, which must be given intravenously at high cost.
Only two antibiotics still work against these infections.
In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have measured a troubling shift in the American landscape of infection: between 2019 and 2023, infections from so-called nightmare bacteria carrying the NDM gene rose by nearly seventy percent. Such organisms have long unsettled infectious disease specialists because they resist standard antibiotics, leaving only two remaining drugs, both costly and both requiring intravenous delivery. The deeper unease lies in what remains unseen, since the agency suspects many carriers have never been identified, which means the bacteria may already be moving quietly through communities.
A new report from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, puts a hard number on a fear that infectious disease specialists have carried for some time. Infections from a class of drug-resistant bacteria often called "nightmare bacteria" rose by almost 70 percent across the United States between 2019 and 2023.
The growth is driven mainly by bacteria carrying the NDM gene, which makes them hard to treat with standard antibiotics. According to the CDC researchers, only two antibiotics still work against these infections. Both are expensive and must be given intravenously, which limits options for patients and strains the hospitals caring for them.
David Weiss, an infectious diseases researcher at Emory University, called the rise of NDM bacteria in the U.S. a grave danger and said it was very worrisome. The CDC also warned about what is not yet visible: many people may be carrying the bacteria without knowing it, which could allow spread through the community rather than remaining among the patients currently identified.
The practical stakes are stark. When an infection resists nearly every drug, doctors depend on a very short list of remaining treatments. What to watch next is whether the CDC and health systems expand surveillance, since better detection could reveal how widely these bacteria are already present.
A report from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, puts a number on something infectious disease specialists have been uneasy about: infections from a class of drug-resistant bacteria, often called "nightmare bacteria," rose by almost 70% in the United States between 2019 and 2023.
The increase was driven mainly by bacteria that carry what is known as the NDM gene. That gene makes the organisms difficult to treat with standard antibiotics. According to the CDC researchers, only two antibiotics still work against these infections. Both are expensive, and both have to be given intravenously, which narrows the options for patients and for the hospitals treating them.
David Weiss, PhD, an infectious diseases researcher at Emory University, responded to the findings in an email. He called the rise of NDMs in the U.S. a grave danger and said it was very worrisome.
The CDC also raised a concern about what is not being seen. The agency warns that it is likely many people are unrecognized carriers of the drug-resistant bacteria. If so, the organisms could spread in the community rather than staying confined to the patients and settings where they are currently identified.
The report appeared in a live health news roundup from TheHealthSite, which placed the finding alongside the return of other dangerous infections around the world, including Ebola and measles. The same roundup noted that stubble burning has started in Punjab and Haryana, the main winter source of air pollution affecting Delhi, and carried a headline about US President Donald Trump linking Tylenol to autism. Those items were only mentioned in passing in the source, and the nightmare bacteria figures are the part with the clearest published basis.
The practical stakes are easy to state. When an infection resists nearly every drug, doctors depend on a very short list of remaining treatments. With only two effective antibiotics, cost and the need for intravenous administration become part of the medical problem, not just a billing footnote.
What to watch next is whether the CDC and health systems expand surveillance. The agency's warning about unrecognized carriers suggests that better detection could change the picture of how widely the NDM bacteria are already present.
Citas Notables
The rise of NDMs in the U.S. is a grave danger and very worrisome.— David Weiss, PhD, Emory University infectious diseases researcher
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