How CDC Protects Americans by Combating Antimicrobial Resistance

Each year, millions of Americans get bacterial and fungal infections that are difficult or impossible to treat. These infections are caused by germs that have developed the ability to defeat some or all of the drugs designed to kill them. This is called antimicrobial resistance, or drug resistance. Many of our most critical medical advances are dependent on our ability to fight infections using antibiotic and antifungal drugs. As these drugs lose their effectiveness, we lose the ability to treat infections and put countless lives at risk. We also drain resources from our economy and workforce, including in health care, agriculture, and food production. CDC works every day to protect people from this urgent threat. CDC leads the U.S. public health response to combat antimicrobial resistance, working with partners to drive aggressive action and empower the nation to comprehensively respond. These partnerships span health care systems, government departments and agencies, public health departments and laboratories, non-governmental organizations, other countries, and others. CDC's work to combat antimicrobial resistance recognizes the connections between the health of people, animals, and our shared environment, and uses a One Health approach to fight this threat. CDC focuses on actions to combat antimicrobial resistance by strengthening core public health capabilities, prevention, detection, response, stewardship, innovation, and awareness. CDC creates resources to help health care facilities train their staff to prevent the emergence and spread of drug-resistant threats when and where they are identified. CDC supports health departments in every state to work with hospitals and other health care facilities to improve infection prevention and control. This protects patients and health care workers. CDC's National Health Care Safety Network, or NHSN, is used by over 38,000 U.S. health care facilities to provide actionable data on health care-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. These data help health care facilities measure their progress in preventing infections. CDC also provides guidance for health care providers and facilities on infection prevention and control. This helps protect patients by preventing infections during day-to-day care, as well as during disease outbreaks. Detection of existing and emerging drug-resistant germs is critical to preventing their spread. CDC's investments in rapid and accurate detection have transformed national, regional, and local laboratory infrastructure. CDC's Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network supports public health labs in all 50 states and additional jurisdictions to detect urgent and emerging threats. The network supports a rapid public health response, enables better communication with clinical laboratory partners, and provides data for action. Other CDC platforms that help monitor antimicrobial resistance in specific populations or for specific types of drug-resistant germs include CDC's Emerging Infections Program sites, which translate population-based surveillance and research activities into informed policy and public health practice, NHSN, which provides reliable data on antimicrobial resistance in health care, and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, or NARMS, a collaboration between CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and the Department of Agriculture, or USDA, which monitors resistance in specific types of intestinal or gut bacteria found in people, food animals, and retail meats. CDC works closely with health departments, other government agencies, and key partners to prevent the spread of germs and protect people. CDC investments in national infrastructure empowers state, territorial, and local health departments and public health laboratories to rapidly respond to and control outbreaks of drug-resistant germs in health care facilities and in communities. When extra support is needed, CDC experts are deployed as on-the-ground help for outbreak response in the United States and around the world. Anytime antibiotics and antifungals are used, they can cause side effects and contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotic and antifungal stewardship is the effort to improve the use of these drugs to ensure each patient receives the best treatment for their illness. CDC analyzes antibiotic and antifungal use in U.S. hospitals and outpatient care settings using the National Health Care Safety Network and other data sources. These data help CDC and partners identify additional actions needed to ensure these drugs are used appropriately. CDC develops resources such as the Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship, which help health care facilities implement successful stewardship programs in all health care settings. Effective stewardship efforts help fight antimicrobial resistance. CDC and its partners are leaders in applied research to identify new strategies and approaches to prevent infections, more rapidly and accurately detect drug-resistant threats, and control the spread of antimicrobial resistance more effectively. CDC supports innovation through investments in translating research into clinical best practices, identifying cost-effective interventions, and adapting proven practices for new settings. In addition, CDC and FDA's AR Isolate Bank maintains one of the largest collections of pure samples of germs called isolates. These isolates, which are provided at no cost to approved institutions like academic researchers and drug and diagnostic manufacturers, are often used in the development of new drugs and diagnostics to combat antimicrobial resistance and improve patient care. CDC raises awareness of antimicrobial resistance by sharing the latest information with health care workers, the public, and policymakers about the risk of drug-resistant germs, appropriate use of antibiotics and antifungals, prevention of infections and life-threatening conditions like sepsis, and the role everyone can play in protecting themselves and helping to prevent the spread. Data are critical to guide efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance, and CDC is committed to providing the best available data to help raise awareness and inform prevention, detection, response, and control efforts. CDC regularly provides data on the current burden of antimicrobial resistance in the United States and lists drug-resistant germs categorized by level of concern to human health. Together with partners, CDC improves patient care, protects public health, informs innovative solutions, and prevents the spread of drug-resistant threats. Learn more by watching Antimicrobial Resistance and Public Health What You Need to Know and visiting www.cdc.gov slash antimicrobial hyphen resistance.