The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning of the surge in infections in the U.S. of a drug-resistant bacteria called NDM-CRE.
In 2020, about 12,700 infections and 1,100 deaths in the country were due to CRE. Between 2019 and 2023, NDM-CRE infections increased by more than 460 percent in the U.S., the CDC said, citing a study that was published Tuesday.
The CDC said infections — which can include bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and wound infections — are “extremely hard to treat” and can be deadly. The public health agency added that detection is “challenging” because “many” clinical laboratories “lack the necessary testing capacity.”
“This sharp rise in NDM-CRE means we face a growing threat that limits our ability to treat some of the most serious bacterial infections,” Danielle Rankin, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, said in a statement.
“Selecting the right treatment has never been more complicated, so it is vitally important that healthcare providers have access to testing to help them select the proper targeted therapies,” Rankin added.
NDM-CRE is part of a group of bacteria carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). They are resistant to most of the antibiotics that are availble on the market, according to the CDC. NDM is an enzyme that makes these bacteria resistant to nearly all antibiotics.
The infections are difficult to treat.
“There are few effective treatment options for NDM-CRE infections. Because NDM-CRE has historically been uncommon in the United States, healthcare providers might not suspect it when treating patients with CRE infections,” the CDC said in its press release. “This can lead them to pick a treatment that is not effective.”
NDM-CRE is linked to “high” rate of morbidity and mortality.
The CDC said the agency has not determined the exact reasons for the surge, but the two contributing factors could be gaps in infection control and limited testing.
“Consistent infection control practices – such as hand hygiene, wearing gloves and gown during patient care, and proper cleaning and disinfection – help to prevent bacteria like NDM-CRE from spreading in healthcare settings,” the CDC said.
