Drug-Resistant Germs Cause an Estimated 9.7 Million US Infections a Year, CDC Reports

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new national report on drug-resistant germs.

Antimicrobial resistance describes bacteria or fungi gaining the ability to withstand the drugs used to treat infections.

The CDC’s 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report, released Oct. 27, is based on 2023 data.

The report estimates about 9.7 million drug-resistant infections and about 50,800 deaths a year in the United States.

It sorts 19 drug-resistant pathogens into urgent, serious and concerning tiers.

Four pathogens are designated urgent threats.

Candida auris is a fungus that can cause serious infections, including bloodstream infections, in severely ill patients.

Candida auris cases in the United States reached 4,523 in 2023, up more than 50 percent from 2022 and about 10 times the 2019 level.

Some strains resist nearly all antifungal drugs.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales are bacteria resistant to an antibiotic class regarded as a last resort.

Drug-resistant gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection whose bacterium has grown resistant to treatment drugs.

Drug-resistant meningococcal bacteria were newly added to the serious-threat list.

Clostridioides difficile, by contrast, moved down from urgent to serious as its infection rate fell.

The CDC cautioned against comparing the new figures directly with the 2019 report’s estimate of 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths, because data sources and counting methods have expanded.

Healthcare-associated infections account for the largest share of the harm, with news reports putting the toll at about 40,000 deaths a year and about $12 billion in costs.

The report warns that antibiotic resistance can make cancer treatment, organ transplants and joint replacement surgery more dangerous.

On prevention, the report stresses following infection prevention rules in healthcare settings.

Its general guidance is to take a prescribed antibiotic exactly as directed and to finish the course, and not to share leftover medicine or stop on one’s own.

This is general public health information, not medical advice for any individual.