CDC Warns of Deadly Drug-Resistant Infections in US Healthcare Facilities

By Staff, Agencies

Drug-resistant bacteria and fungi commonly associated with US hospitals and nursing homes are linked to more than four in five deaths from antimicrobial-resistant infections, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC].

The CDC’s latest Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report estimates that 19 types of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths annually in the United States, based on 2023 data.

Seven bacterial threats commonly associated with healthcare facilities account for more than 42,000 deaths and nearly $12 billion in healthcare costs each year.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms evolve to withstand drugs designed to eliminate them, making infections harder or sometimes impossible to treat.

Older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and patients undergoing invasive medical procedures face heightened risks.

Among the CDC’s urgent threats is Candida auris, a potentially deadly fungus that can resist multiple medications and survive on surfaces in healthcare facilities.

A separate CDC study published in July found that reported Candida auris cases more than doubled between 2022 and 2024, rising from 2,882 to 6,197.

The agency warned that many healthcare-associated infections are preventable, but progress against drug resistance suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic amid staffing shortages, overcrowding, and disruptions to infection-control practices.

The warning comes as US healthcare facilities face mounting financial and staffing pressures. A Harvard-led study found that 432 hospitals closed between 2010 and 2025, resulting in a net loss of 216 facilities and more than 24,000 beds.

Nursing homes are also facing capacity and staffing shortages, leaving some patients hospitalized longer because suitable long-term care facilities are unavailable.