CDC Flags Growing Drug-resistant Germ Threat, 50,000 Deaths a Year

WHO:

CIDRAP - Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, is director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP).

ABC News - ABC News contributor Dr. Alok Patel explained the CDC report and discussed treatment and prevention.

NBC News - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the report and ranked drug-resistant germs by the urgency of the threats they pose.

WHAT:

CIDRAP - The CDC estimates drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 9.7 million infections in the United States each year, compared with 2.8 million in 2019.

CIDRAP - Research based on data from more than 100 countries found that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections were antibiotic-resistant in 2023.

CIDRAP - A 2022 study estimated antimicrobial resistance directly caused 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019 and was associated with 4.95 million deaths.

CIDRAP - Clostridioides difficile causes an estimated 500,000 infections annually in the United States; most cases occur during or shortly after antibiotic use.

CIDRAP - Osterholm called antimicrobial resistance “a slow-motion crisis.”

ABC News - The CDC report warned of an “urgent” threat from drug-resistant bacteria.

NBC News - Drug-resistant germs kill 50,000 people per year.

NBC News - The CDC described infections caused by drug-resistant germs as among the most pressing public health issues.

NBC News - A new CDC report ranked the germs posing the most urgent threats.

WHY:

NBC News - The CDC considers drug-resistant infections a pressing public health issue because they pose a serious threat and kill 50,000 people per year.

HOW:

CIDRAP - Antibiotic overuse can disrupt protective gut microbes and increase susceptibility to infections such as C. difficile; resistant infections can require more antibiotics.

ABC News - Dr. Alok Patel explained what people can do for treatment and prevention; the article summary does not specify the recommendations.

(UPDATED October 29, 2026 01:15 UTC)

The CDC is warning that drug-resistant infections are a pressing public health threat, killing about 50,000 people in the United States each year. The agency estimates that drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 9.7 million infections annually, while international research found that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections was resistant to antibiotics in 2023. Antibiotic overuse can disrupt protective gut microbes and raise the risk of infections such as C. difficile, which causes about 500,000 U.S. infections a year.

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(UPDATED October 28, 2026 19:07 UTC)

The CDC has issued a new report ranking drug-resistant germs by the urgency of the threat they pose, warning that some are an urgent danger. These infections are among the country’s most pressing public health issues and kill 50,000 people each year. ABC News contributor Dr. Alok Patel discussed treatment and prevention.