Experts warn of rise in “nightmare bacteria” resistant to antibiotics
According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), scientists are sounding the alarm over the rapid spread of so-called “nightmare bacteria”, microbes resistant to most antibiotics, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., a microbiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina, described the threat in stark terms. “These creatures are really evil,” he said, referring to bacteria carrying the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM) gene. Known as NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE), these pathogens have surged by more than 460% from 2019 to 2023, according to CDC data.
The organisms can trigger serious illnesses. “They can cause everything from pneumonia to bloodstream infections, which your mother would know as sepsis or blood infection, to wound infections, to even life-ending urinary tract infections,” Schmidt explained.
The CDC warns that “NDM-CRE is a growing threat that limits our ability to treat some of the most serious bacterial infections.” Contributing factors include gaps in infection control in hospitals and delays in rapid testing.
Schmidt pointed to broader causes behind antimicrobial resistance. One is the agricultural sector. “Antimicrobials are in some of the animals’ diets. It isn’t to treat illness. It’s to prevent it,” he said, stressing that misuse can lead to resistance spreading through the food chain. He urged the public to handle food properly: “Cook your food to the right temperatures… It’s why we don’t eat cookie dough unless the eggs are pasteurized.”
Another driver is overuse of antibiotics in humans. “You don't need an antibiotic for every infection, because most infections are viral. You don't need an antibiotic for a cold, for example,” Schmidt said. He highlighted the importance of antibiotic stewardship to preserve drugs’ effectiveness.
Canadian infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch echoed these concerns. “Antibiotics are an incredible tool. They’ve saved countless lives,” he said. But he warned that they are “used and abused every day,” particularly in global agriculture, which accounts for “about 70%” of antibiotic use.
Earlier, Kazinform reported that scientists in China had identified two new bat-borne viruses that could pose a serious risk to human health.
