Infections from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” jumped nearly 70 percent between 2019 and 2023, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. The findings, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, highlight a dangerous rise in bacteria carrying the NDM gene, which resists nearly all antibiotics.
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Get Tested NowScientists counted 4,341 cases of carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections in 29 reporting states last year. Of those, 1,831 carried the NDM gene, which was once rare and linked mainly to overseas medical care. The national rate of carbapenem-resistant infections climbed from just under 2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to more than 3 per 100,000 in 2023. NDM infections soared from about 0.25 to 1.35 per 100,000, a 460 percent increase.
Grim Warnings From Experts
“The rise of NDMs in the U.S. is a grave danger and very worrisome,” said David Weiss, an infectious disease researcher at Emory University. CDC author Dr. Maroya Walters warned that common illnesses, including urinary tract infections, could become chronic and difficult to treat if the bacteria spread widely.
Only two antibiotics can fight NDM infections, and both must be given intravenously and are costly, researchers said. Many carriers may not yet be diagnosed, raising the risk of silent community spread.
Pandemic Link and Underreporting
Dr. Jason Burnham of Washington University, who was not involved in the study, noted that antibiotic use surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely fueling resistance. The CDC report covers only 29 states, leaving out populous states such as California, Florida, New York, and Texas. “The absolute number of U.S. infections is definitely underestimated,” Burnham said.
Carbapenems are considered a last line of defense for severe infections. The CDC warns that antimicrobial resistance grows when antibiotics are misused or unfinished, allowing bacteria to adapt and survive.
Growing National Concern
This is not the first sign of trouble. A June CDC update documented a sharp increase in NDM cases in New York City from 2019 through 2024. Health officials continue to urge hospitals and laboratories to expand testing and report all resistant infections to track the spread of these dangerous pathogens.
Public health experts stress the importance of using antibiotics only when prescribed and completing all courses of treatment to slow the rise of resistant “nightmare bacteria.”
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