The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2017 found more than 200 cases of “nightmare bacteria” that can resist most antibiotics, according to a new report released Tuesday.
The CDC has long warned about antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but the report shows that unusual resistance germs, which are resistant to all or most antibiotics tested and are uncommon or carry special resistance genes, are constantly developing and spreading.
According to the CDC, a nationwide lab found 1 in 4 germ samples had a gene that allowed them to spread their resistance to other germs.
One in 10 screening tests of patients were positive, meaning the unusual resistance may have spread to other patients and could have continued to spread if left undetected.