A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns of a sharp rise in dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria nationwide — a trend that’s also been documented in Northeast Ohio.
The infections, resistant to a powerful class of drugs called carbapenems, can cause potentially deadly pneumonia and bloodstream infections.
The CDC says cases in the U.S. jumped more than 460 percent between 2019 and 2023. People with weakened immune systems, infants, older adults and those in hospitals or long-term care facilities are most at risk.
Dr. Prakash Ganesh, medical director for the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, said the growing resistance is alarming.
“Seeing bacteria that are developing ways to fight carbapenems and be resistant to them is scary,” he said. “It can lead to resistance to other antibiotic classes as well, which significantly limits treatment options,” he said.
In Cuyahoga County, there were no documented cases of carbapenem-resistant bacteria a decade ago. But numbers spiked suddenly in 2018 and have stayed high ever since. Local health data show nearly 213 cases last year and 149 so far this year.
Ganesh said while there haven’t been recent spikes, hospitals need to stay vigilant by following strict infection control practices, like handwashing and disinfecting equipment. He also encouraged patients to ask their health care providers to wash their hands.
As to what caused the increase, locally and nationally, Ganesh can’t be sure. But he said overprescribing antibiotics definitely plays a role.
"I think cautious use, and guidance of the use, of antibiotics is very important," Ganesh said, adding patients also need to take their antibiotics as directed.
He said pharmaceutical companies must also step up by developing new antibiotics to keep pace with evolving bacteria.
“It’s usually slow to happen because it's not lucrative to make antibiotics, but it could be helpful for those on the ground to see more antibiotics in the pipeline,” said Ganesh. “There are newer and newer drugs that are coming out. It's just maybe we need it faster or more options.”
