Antibiotic Resistance Threats Identified by the CDC and the Importance of Infection Control Procedures and Education

While much of the media’s attention has been focused on the novel coronavirus that spread across the globe this year, SARS-CoV-2 is not the only emerging threat. Just before reports of the initial outbreak of COVID-19 last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an update to the agency’s first Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States (AR Threats Report) from 6 years earlier.  

In the 2019 AR Threats Report, the agency states that more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year and more than 35,000 people die as a result. The document lists the CDC’s top 18 antibiotic-resistant pathogens and also includes 3 on the agency’s “Watch List.” The report excludes viruses and parasites, but does include bacteria and fungi (for this report, the agency uses “antibiotic” to describe antibacterial and antifungal drugs). The categories include urgent, serious and concerning threats, along with the watch list.

Urgent Threats
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter
Candida auris
Clostridioides difficile
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae
Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae
 
Serious Threats
Drug-resistant Campylobacter
Drug-resistant Candida
ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci
Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Drug-resistant nontyphoidal Salmonella
Drug-resistant Salmonella serotype Typhi
Drug-resistant Shigella
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae
Drug-resistant Tuberculosis
 
Concerning Threats
Erythromycin-resistant group A Streptococcus
Clindamycin-resistant group B Streptococcus
 
Watch List
Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus
Drug-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium
Drug-resistant Bordetella pertussis

“Whether it’s the coronavirus or antibiotic-resistant bacteria or fungi, the people typically most at risk are those with a weak or suppressed immune system,” said Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “This makes places like hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, nurseries and other facilities at greater risk of illnesses and infections. Infection control procedures in these places need to function at the highest level.”    

Offering assistance with these challenges are the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) professionals at Clark Seif Clark. CSC provides environmental and infection control education, consulting and testing. Proactive education and prevention can reduce the frequency and severity of illnesses and outbreaks due to microbial pathogens. If an outbreak has already occurred, CSC is available to develop a quick and concise response to address both the anxieties and the tangible issues related to these events. As an educational resource, CSC also recently sponsored a video about the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States – 2019 that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/f5As3sv0GJU

To learn more about this or other microbial, environmental, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 

About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues.  CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail