CDC report links 50,800 annual deaths to drug-resistant germs

Approximately 50,800 people in the United States die each year from drug-resistant germs, according to a report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency estimates that these resistant bacteria, fungi, and parasites cause 9.8 million infections annually.

The report, the first of its kind in eight years, categorizes 19 pathogens by their threat level to public health. Four germs are designated as urgent threats, 13 are classified as serious, and two are listed as concerning. A separate watch list includes six additional pathogens that officials are monitoring for potential future risks. The previous report, issued in 2018, identified more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections and over 35,000 associated deaths per year.

Health care facilities account for more than 42,000 of the estimated annual deaths from these infections. CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz stated in a release that antimicrobial resistance threatens modern medicine and puts millions of Americans at risk. She noted that the data reflects both progress made and the work that remains.

One of the urgent threats is C. auris, a type of yeast infection that can spread in health care settings. The CDC reported that C. auris cases have increased tenfold since 2019. Some strains of this fungus resist all three available classes of antifungal treatment. Another urgent threat is drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, alongside carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.

Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium that can cause life-threatening meningitis, is a new addition to the serious threat list. The report indicates that drug-resistant infections from this bacterium are appearing in community settings. C. diff, which can cause serious and sometimes deadly diarrhea, was downgraded from an urgent threat to a serious threat following a decline in infection rates.

The report highlights the rapid spread of resistance genes, which makes infections harder to treat. NDM-CRE, a group of bacteria resistant to nearly all available antibiotics, is a specific example of this trend. A 2025 CDC report found that NDM-CRE infections surged by more than 460% between 2019 and 2023. These infections, which include pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, and wound infections, are extremely difficult to treat and can be deadly.

Clinical laboratories face challenges in detecting these resistant strains because many lack the necessary testing capacity. The full list of urgent threats includes Candida auris, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, and drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The serious and concerning categories, as well as the watch list, contain additional pathogens identified in the document.