CDC Flags 460% Surge in Deadly Superbug Infections Nationwide

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed a dramatic 460% increase in NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE) infections between 2019 and 2023, according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. This 'superbug,' which produces the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase enzyme, resists nearly all antibiotics, including powerful carbapenems, leading to urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections and wound infections that are often fatal.[1][2] In 2020 alone, related CRE infections caused 12,700 cases and 1,100 deaths nationwide, with the NDM-CRE surge poised to drive those numbers higher.[2][3] Epidemiologist Danielle Rankin of the CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion described the rise as 'a growing threat that limits our ability to treat some of the most serious bacterial infections.' The bacteria spreads rapidly through healthcare facilities and communities without strict infection controls like hand hygiene, gloves, gowns and thorough disinfection.[1][2] Many labs lack rapid testing for NDM-CRE, which is unfamiliar to U.S. providers since it was rare domestically, delaying diagnosis and treatment.[2][3] Overuse of antibiotics, including during early COVID-19 treatment, and global resistance trends are likely culprits, experts say. Neha Nanda, medical director of antimicrobial stewardship at USC's Keck Medicine, linked the surge partly to pandemic-era antibiotic use.[3] Novel drugs like ceftazidime-avibactam and meropenem-vaborbactam offer limited options, but the bugs' adaptability poses ongoing risks, especially for immunocompromised patients.[1] This marks the CDC's second recent alert on resistant bacteria spikes; a June report highlighted New York City cases from 2019-2024, while NDM-CRE cases have now surfaced across multiple states in urban hospitals.[3] Officials urge heightened vigilance, with NDM-CRE surviving on surfaces and evading common detection to threaten public health.[2] Separate but related worries swirl around Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus with over 7,000 U.S. cases in 2025, hitting more than half the states, mostly in hospitals and nursing homes where it preys on the critically ill.[4][5] About half of infected patients die, amplifying fears of untreatable microbes in healthcare settings.[4]