Urgent Level Threats and Serious Level Threats

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

More than 80,000 invasive MRSA infections lead to 11,285 related deaths per year. Severe MRSA infections most commonly occur during or soon after inpatient medical care. Overall rates of invasive MRSA have dropped 31%, largely due to improved medical procedures in central-line maintenance.

Drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae

More than 1.2 million cases a year are drug resistant to amoxicillin and azithromycin (Z-Pak), resulting in 19,000 hospitalizations, 7,900 deaths, and medical costs in excess of $96 million.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) protects against 13 strains of Streptococcus and reduces antibiotic-resistance by blocking the transmission of resistant strains.

Drug-resistant Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis is among the most common infectious diseases and causes of death worldwide. Of more than 10,000 TB cases in the US, about 10% were resistant to antibiotics, resulting in more than 50 deaths. The major factors driving TB drug resistance are incomplete or wrong treatment, transmission to uninfected persons, inadequate drug supply, and lack of new drugs.

Fluconazole-resistant Candida

Out of 46,000 patients with Candida yeast infections per year, 3,400 have bloodstream infections of drug-resistant Candida and 220 die during their hospitalizations. These infections tend to occur in the sickest of patients.

Drug-resistant Campylobacter

Campylobacter causes more than 1.3 million infections, 13, 000 hospitalizations, and 120 deaths in the U.S. each year; 310,000 (25%) of these are drug- resistant. Campylobacter spreads from animals to people through contaminated food, particularly raw or undercooked chicken and unpasteurized milk. Antibiotic use in farm animals can result in resistant Campylobacter that can spread to humans.