CDC Speaks About New Data From Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Fact Sheet

Following Infection Control Today^®'s (ICT^®’s) article on the CDC's Antimicrobial Resistance Threats in the US 2021-2022 report, Michael Craig, MPP, director of CDC's Antimicrobial Resistance Coordination and Strategy Unit, addresses ICT's questions.

ICT: What are the main takeaways from this report today?

Michael Craig, MPP: The new data on antimicrobial resistance (AR) in the United States show that AR remains a public health threat in the United States and more action is needed to combat AR and protect people. CDC had previously reported the burden of several antimicrobial-resistant pathogens increased in the United States in 2020 in the COVID-19 Impact Report. These new datapublished July 16, 2024, describe the burden in the 2 following years, 2021 and 2022, and are compared against 2019 data.

The report analyzes the US burden of 7 antimicrobial-resistant pathogens typically found in health care settings:

•Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

•Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE)

•Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales

•Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE)

•Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter

•Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa

•Candida auris (C auris)

The new data show that 6 antimicrobial-resistant hospital-onset infections increased by a combined 20% during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the prepandemic period, peaking in 2021 and remaining above prepandemic levels in 2022. In 2022, rates for all but 1 of these pathogens, MRSA, remained above prepandemic levels. Also, the number of reported clinical cases of C auris, a type of yeast that can spread in health care facilities, is often resistant to antifungal medications, and can cause severe illness, increased nearly 5-fold from 2019 to 2022.

Amid the pandemic, health care providers and public health professionals took aggressive action to prevent infections and protect lives, helping to reduce the burden of AR from its 2021 peak. We can’t let up now. We can and must do more to regain the ground we lost during the pandemic and combat antimicrobial resistance by investing in the prevention-focused public health actions that we know work, including effective infection prevention and control, accurate laboratory detection, rapid response, appropriate antibiotic and antifungal use, and expansion of innovative strategies.

ICT: What plans does the CDC have to help lower the burden of antimicrobial resistance?

MC: CDC leads the U.S. public health effort to combat antimicrobial resistance. CDC’s prevention efforts span healthcare settings, communities, the food supply, and the environment such as water and soil. Through CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions Initiative, the agency invests in national and global infrastructure to detect, respond, contain, and prevent antimicrobial-resistant infections. We support efforts to slow the spread of resistance in all 50 state health departments, several local health departments, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We have also invested in innovative antimicrobial resistance projects in more than 60 countries.

For more information on key CDC investments to combat AR, you can check out our AR Investment Map, which showcases CDC's critical investments in laboratory, epidemiological expertise, and public health innovation in the U.S. and abroad.

ICT: Is there anything else you would like to add?

MC: Germs will inevitably find ways to resist antibiotics and antifungals, which is why aggressive action is needed to keep new resistance from developing and to prevent the resistance that already exists from spreading.

Everyone has a role to play in this fight. No one can completely avoid getting an infection, but we all can take steps to reduce our risk and help stop the spread of germs. These include:

1. Talk with your health care provider or veterinarian about the best treatment when you, your family, or an animal is sick.
2. If your health care provider prescribes an antibiotic or antifungal for you, take the medication exactly as prescribed. Do not share your medication with others or save them for later. Talk to your pharmacist about safely discarding leftover medicines.
3. Keep your hands clean. It is one of the best ways to prevent infections, avoid getting sick, and prevent spreading germs. Soap and water or hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol do a great job.
4. Keep cuts covered and clean until they are healed.
5. Stay current on recommended vaccines. Vaccines help prevent infections, slow resistance and reduce the need for antibiotics and antifungals.
6. Cover your coughs and sneezes to prevent the spread of respiratory infections.
7. Prepare food safely to prevent foodborne illnesses.Keep surface areas and utensils clean. Cook foods to safe temperatures and chill leftovers.
8. Prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If you have sex, learn effective strategies to reduce STI risk for yourself and your partner, like choosing safer sexual activities and using condoms the right way from start to finish. If you test positive for an STI, you and your partner should be treated right away.