Four superbugs are ‘urgent’ threats, CDC says. Here’s how patients can help slow them

The Center for Disease Control released its yearly Antimicrobial Threats Report in October, detailing illnesses that are becoming resistant to treatment. It listed four drug-resistant illnesses as urgent public health threats. Candida auris, Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter and Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales are urgent public health threats. Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae is also considered an urgent threat by the CDC. kAmx==?6DD6D =:DE65 :? E96 p?E:>:4C@3:2= %9C62ED #6A@CE 2C6 6G@=G:?8 E@ 36 92C56C E@ EC62E H:E9 2?E:>:4C@3:2= >65:4:?6D[ :?4=F5:?8 2?E:3:@E:4D]k^Am kAm$@>6 @E96C :==?6DD6D 2C6 4@?D:56C65 D6C:@FD[ 4@?46C?:?8 @C A=2465 @? 2 H2E49=:DE 5F6 E@ 2?E:>:4C@3:2= C6D:DE2?46]k^Am kAm$6C:@FD E9C62ED :?4=F56 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8@@8=6]4@>^D62C49nBl6G2Z7=@H6ZD9:86==2U2>AjC=Kl`r`vrtp06?&$`a`b&$`a`bU2>Aj@Bl6G2Z7=@H6ZD9:86==2U2>Aj8D0=4CAlt8+;2wyG3(&Bq88ptt&*~Kxvrpp"##8f|8AjD@FC46:5l49C@>6U2>AjD@FC46l49C@>6]@3U2>Aj:6l&%u\gQ E2C86ElQ03=2?^?6HD^=@42=^=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?:EE65 $9:86==2 :? a_ae]k^Am kAm%96 rsr 2=D@ =236=65 5CF8\C6D:DE2?E }6:DD6C:2 >6?:?8:E:5:D 2 D6C:@FD E9C62E 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? a_ae]k^Am k9bmp?E:>:4C@3:2= C6D:DE2?46k^9bm kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^?6HD^=@42=^=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?2C:=J DAC625 2E 962=E9\42C6 724:=:E:6D] w62=E9J A6@A=6 42? @7E6? 7:89E E96 :?764E:@? @77[ 3FE :E <:==D :? 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 ?FCD:?8 9@>6D]k^Am kAm}@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ E96 DE2E6 H96C6 E96 r92C=@EE6 ~3D6CG6C :D 32D65[ 92D C6A@CE65 f` 42D6D :? a_ae 2D A2CE @7 2 ?2E:@?2= FAE:4<[ E9@F89 E96 rsr C6A@CED ?@ 24E:G6 42D6D :? E96 DE2E6 2D @7 ~4E] ac]k^Am kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]454]8@G^4C6^23@FE^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?\C6D:DE2?E t?E6C@324E6C2=6Dk^2m :?4=F56 t] 4@=: 2?5 A?6F>@?:2 DEC2:?D E92E 2C6 C6D:DE2?E E@ @?6 @C D6G6C2= 2?E:3:@E:4D 42==65 42C32A6?6>D] t] 4@=: :D @7E6? 7@F?5 :? 4@?E2>:?2E65 7@@5[ 2?5 >F=E:A=6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]492C=@EE6@3D6CG6C]4@>^?6HD^=@42=^=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?65:2^A57D^4C23\92?5@FE\Gf\d_g]A57Q E2C86ElQ03=2?\C6D:DE2?E p4:?6E@324E6Ck^2m 42FD6D :?764E:@?D @7 E96 3=@@5[ FC:?2CJ EC24E[ =F?8D WA?6F>@?:2X @C H@F?5D[ 2?5 :D =:<6H:D6 C6D:DE2?E E@ 42C32A6?6>D]k^Am kAmr2C32A6?6>\C6D:DE2?E p4:?6E@324E6C 2?5 r2C32A6?6>\C6D:DE2?E t?E6C@324E6C2=6D 2C6 4@?D:56C65 E@86E96C @? E96 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6A:]5A9]?4599D]8@G^45^52D93@2C5D^BF2CE6C=J]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?2D6\AC@5F4:?8 @C82?:D>D] r2C32A6?6>2D6 :D E96 6?KJ>6 E92E 56DEC@JD 42C32A6?6>] %96C6 92G6 366? aad 42D6D :? a_ae[ E9C@F89 yF?6] }rsww$ ?@E6D E92E H9:=6 3@E9 42? AC@5F46 42C32A6?6>2D6[ D@>6 @7 6249 5@ ?@E[ 2?5 >2J ?@E 36 :?4=F565 @? E96 52D93@2C5]k^Am k9bm!C6G6?E:@? @7 2?E:>:4C@3:2= C6D:DE2?46k^9bm kAm“sCF8\C6D:DE2?E :?764E:@?D 2C6 2 8C@H:?8 AC@3=6> :? }r] %96 }rsww$ w62=E942C6\pDD@4:2E65 x?764E:@? %62> H@C>F?:E:6D E@ >2<6 DFC6 2?E:3:@E:4D 2?5 @E96C >65:4:?6D 2C6 FD65 D276=J 2?5 67764E:G6=J[” }rsww$ D2:5 @G6C 6>2:=]k^Am kAmkDEC@?8m!2E:6?ED 42? 96=A AC6G6?E 2?E:3:@E:4 C6D:DE2?46 3J 5@:?8 E96 7@==@H:?8[ 244@C5:?8 E@ }rsww$ik^DEC@?8mk^Am kAm• &D6 2?E:3:@E:4D @?=J H96? ?66565] p?E:3:@E:4D EC62E 324E6C:2[ DF49 2D DEC6A E9C@2E 2?5 FC:?2CJ EC24E :?764E:@?D] p?E:3:@E:4D 5@ ?@E H@C< E@ EC62E 4@>>@? G:C2= :?764E:@?D 2?5 DJ>AE@>D[ DF49 2D 2 4@=5[ CF??J ?@D6[ 7=F[ r~'xs\`h[ 3C@?49:E:D 2?5 >@DE 4@F89D 2?5 D@C6 E9C@2ED]k^Am kAm• %2<6 2?E:3:@E:4D 6I24E=J 2D AC6D4C:365] r@>A=6E6 E96 6?E:C6 4@FCD6 @7 E96 2?E:3:@E:4 J@FC AC@G:56C AC6D4C:36D[ 6G6? :7 DJ>AE@>D 5:D2AA62C]k^Am kAm• s@ ?@E E2<6 D@>6@?6 6=D6’D 2?E:3:@E:4D]k^Am kAm• pD< 2 962=E9 42C6 AC@G:56C 23@FE D:56 67764ED @7 2?E:3:@E:4D] %96 36?67:ED @7 E2<:?8 AC6D4C:365 2?E:3:@E:4D 4@CC64E=J FDF2==J @FEH6:89 E96 C:D6 A6@A=6 C6A@CE 36:?8 2==6C8:4 E@ A6?:4:==:?[ 3FE 4@>>@? C624E:@?D E@ A6?:4:==:? 2C6 @7E6? >:DE2<6? 7@C 2? 2==6C8J]k^Am kAm• s:DA@D6 @7 2?E:3:@E:4D 4@CC64E=J] $276=J 5:DA@D6 @7 F?FD65 2?E:3:@E:4D :? 2 5CF8 5C@A 3@I]k^Am