CDC seeks to address antibiotic resistance

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said the agency is working to address instances of germs with unusual antibiotic resistance genes in the United States.

A CDC Vital Signs report referenced health departments working with the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance (AR) Lab Network identified more than 220 antibiotic resistant germs last year.

“CDC’s study found several dangerous pathogens, hiding in plain sight, that can cause infections that are difficult or impossible to treat,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director, said. “It’s reassuring to see that state and local experts, using our containment strategy, identified and stopped these resistant bacteria before they had the opportunity to spread.”

The CDC said the containment strategy calls for rapid identification of resistance, infection control assessments, testing patients without symptoms who may carry and spread the germ, and continued infection control assessments until spread is stopped.

The agency is coordinating a response among healthcare facilities, labs and health departments through the AR Lab Network, as officials noted health departments using the approach have conducted infection control assessments and colonization screenings within 48 hours of finding unusual resistance and reported no further transmission during follow-up over several weeks.

Vital Signs is a report generated as part of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, responsible for providing the latest data and information on key health indicators.