Drug-resistant bacteria pose potential catastrophe, CDC warns

Antibiotic-resistant infections pose a serious danger to our health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that we may not be able to treat these infections if they continue to spread at a rapid rate. Thomas R. Friden, CDC Director, explains, "If we're not careful, the medicine chest will be empty when we go there to look for a life-saving antibiotic. Without urgent action now, more patients will be thrust back to a time before we had effective drugs." The list of "urgent" infections includes Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), which is typically contracted in medical facilities, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which causes gonorrhea, and Clostridium difficile (C. Difficile). According to the CDC, over 2 million people become ill from these types of drug-resistant infections per year, as a result of the overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics. An estimated 80% of antibiotics in the U.S. are used on animals in our food supply chain, leading many people to worry that antibiotics should be regulated more closely.

The Washington Post, 9/16/13