CDC warns of dramatic U.S. NDM‑CRE superbug surge
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a dramatic nationwide increase in NDM‑producing carbapenem‑resistant Enterobacterales (NDM‑CRE), with laboratory data showing infections rose more than 460% from 2019 to 2023. CDC officials and outside experts warn these strains resist most antibiotics, cause severe infections (UTI, pneumonia, bloodstream, wound), and call for expanded testing and infection‑control measures across U.S. healthcare settings.
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Dangerous spike in superbug infections surges across US as experts share cautions
New information:
- NDM‑CRE infections increased by more than 460% between 2019 and 2023 according to CDC laboratory testing reported in the article.
- NDM (New Delhi metallo‑beta‑lactamase) confers resistance to nearly all antibiotics; CDC noted about 12,700 infections and 1,100 deaths in 2020 tied to NDM‑CRE (reported figure).
- CDC epidemiologist Danielle Rankin is quoted urging wider access to testing to guide targeted therapies; outside expert David Perlin stresses gaps in surveillance and the need for point‑of‑care testing.