What is the prevalence of antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. Each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and more than 35,000 people die.

Why is antibiotic resistance more common in hospitals?

About Antibiotic Resistance Patients in these facilities are commonly exposed to antibiotics and receive lots of hands on care. Additionally, most resistant germs are more common in hospitals than in the community. These are factors which can lead to spread of resistant germs.

What percentage of hospital infections are caused by antibiotic-resistant microbes?

One of the deadliest types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA. The percentage of Staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics has risen from 22 percent in 1997 to over 60 percent in 2007.

What is the number one hospital issue for antibiotic resistance?

The most serious concern with antibiotic resistance is that some bacteria have become resistant to almost all of the easily available antibiotics. These bacteria are able to cause serious disease and this is a major public health problem. Important examples are: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

What are the leading factors to antibiotic resistance?

Leading factors facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance Lack of awareness about the issue, among the general public, prescribers, politicians, and the media. Inadequate waste management and poor water sanitation. Poor infection prevention and control practices (such as lack of hand-washing and hand hygiene to avoid the spread of infections in healthcare settings).

What do you need to know about antibiotic resistance?

What do I need to know about antibiotic resistance? Antibiotics do not always kill all the bacteria causing an infection. Bacteria that survive will be stronger and may become resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance can happen when antibiotics are overused or not taken correctly. Antibiotic resistance makes infections hard to treat.

What to know about antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance happens when the germs no longer respond to the antibiotics designed to kill them . That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow. It does not mean our body is resistant to antibiotics. Bacteria and fungi are constantly finding new ways to avoid the effects of the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause.

Is antibiotic resistance a threat to life?

Antibiotic resistance, loss of susceptibility of bacteria to the killing (bacteriocidal) or growth-inhibiting (bacteriostatic) properties of an antibiotic agent. When a resistant strain of bacteria is the dominant strain in an infection, the infection may be untreatable and life-threatening .