CDC Head: Age of Antibiotic Resistance Is Nigh
"Antimicrobial resistance is a big problem and it's getting worse," said Dr. Tom Frieden.
The growing threat of antibiotic resistance requires imminent action, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Tuesday.
Speaking at a National Press Club event, Dr. Tom Frieden said, "Antimicrobial resistance is a big problem and it's getting worse." It's a problem that costs lives as well as $20 billion in healthcare costs, he said.
"We talk about a pre-antibiotic era and the antibiotic era. If we're not careful, we will soon be in a post-antibiotic era. And in fact for some patients and some pathogens, we're already there."
The CDC issued a report last year to increase awareness of the problem of some infections becoming resistant to antibiotics as a result of both overuse and misuse in humans and farm animals. The World Health Organization also issued a warning earlier this year, stating that a post-antibiotic era, "far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century."
As the CDC has previously warned, Frieden said, "Antibiotic resistance could affect any of us," noting that such infections strike 2 million Americans every year, with 23,000 of those being deadly.
Two problems result from antimicrobial resistance, he said. One is that more common infections, like urinary tract infections or pneumonias, are becoming antibiotic resistant. Secondly, Frieden stresses, is that treating infections is key to modern medicine. Patients receiving chemotherapy or dialysis, for example, have compromised immune systems and may depend on antibiotics for treatment of infections they incur, so "our ability to give these cutting-edge treatments is at risk because of the spread of drug resistance," he said.
Stopping the problem, he said, requires four things: better detection, better control, better prevention and more innovation.
To meet these objectives, Frieden emphasized the need for funding for a CDC initiative proposed in the 2015 budget. The initiative, which would help healthcare providers track patterns in antibiotic use, could cut the two deadliest risks--CRE, which Frieden has called "nightmare bacteria," and Clostridium difficile, often referred to as CDF--in half.
"Every day that we delay means that it will be harder and more expensive to fix this problem tomorrow," Frieden said.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
The growing threat of antibiotic resistance requires imminent action, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Tuesday.
Speaking at a National Press Club event, Dr. Tom Frieden said, "Antimicrobial resistance is a big problem and it's getting worse." It's a problem that costs lives as well as $20 billion in healthcare costs, he said.
"We talk about a pre-antibiotic era and the antibiotic era. If we're not careful, we will soon be in a post-antibiotic era. And in fact for some patients and some pathogens, we're already there."
The CDC issued a report last year to increase awareness of the problem of some infections becoming resistant to antibiotics as a result of both overuse and misuse in humans and farm animals. The World Health Organization also issued a warning earlier this year, stating that a post-antibiotic era, "far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century."
As the CDC has previously warned, Frieden said, "Antibiotic resistance could affect any of us," noting that such infections strike 2 million Americans every year, with 23,000 of those being deadly.
Two problems result from antimicrobial resistance, he said. One is that more common infections, like urinary tract infections or pneumonias, are becoming antibiotic resistant. Secondly, Frieden stresses, is that treating infections is key to modern medicine. Patients receiving chemotherapy or dialysis, for example, have compromised immune systems and may depend on antibiotics for treatment of infections they incur, so "our ability to give these cutting-edge treatments is at risk because of the spread of drug resistance," he said.
Stopping the problem, he said, requires four things: better detection, better control, better prevention and more innovation.
To meet these objectives, Frieden emphasized the need for funding for a CDC initiative proposed in the 2015 budget. The initiative, which would help healthcare providers track patterns in antibiotic use, could cut the two deadliest risks--CRE, which Frieden has called "nightmare bacteria," and Clostridium difficile, often referred to as CDF--in half.
"Every day that we delay means that it will be harder and more expensive to fix this problem tomorrow," Frieden said.
The growing threat of antibiotic resistance requires imminent action, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Tuesday.
Speaking at a National Press Club event, Dr. Tom Frieden said, "Antimicrobial resistance is a big problem and it's getting worse." It's a problem that costs lives as well as $20 billion in healthcare costs, he said.
"We talk about a pre-antibiotic era and the antibiotic era. If we're not careful, we will soon be in a post-antibiotic era. And in fact for some patients and some pathogens, we're already there."
The CDC issued a report last year to increase awareness of the problem of some infections becoming resistant to antibiotics as a result of both overuse and misuse in humans and farm animals. The World Health Organization also issued a warning earlier this year, stating that a post-antibiotic era, "far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century."
As the CDC has previously warned, Frieden said, "Antibiotic resistance could affect any of us," noting that such infections strike 2 million Americans every year, with 23,000 of those being deadly.
Two problems result from antimicrobial resistance, he said. One is that more common infections, like urinary tract infections or pneumonias, are becoming antibiotic resistant. Secondly, Frieden stresses, is that treating infections is key to modern medicine. Patients receiving chemotherapy or dialysis, for example, have compromised immune systems and may depend on antibiotics for treatment of infections they incur, so "our ability to give these cutting-edge treatments is at risk because of the spread of drug resistance," he said.
Stopping the problem, he said, requires four things: better detection, better control, better prevention and more innovation.
To meet these objectives, Frieden emphasized the need for funding for a CDC initiative proposed in the 2015 budget. The initiative, which would help healthcare providers track patterns in antibiotic use, could cut the two deadliest risks--CRE, which Frieden has called "nightmare bacteria," and Clostridium difficile, often referred to as CDF--in half.
"Every day that we delay means that it will be harder and more expensive to fix this problem tomorrow," Frieden said.