Will Drug-Resistant Infections Kill Millions?

Infectious disease experts have been concerned about drug-resistant bacteria for years. Back in 2019, researchers at the United Nations issued an alarming analysis about drug-resistant infections. It predicted that in 2019, 230,000 people would die from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Almost half a million more were expected to die from other infections that don’t respond to antimicrobial treatment. Starting in 2020, however, collective attention focused primarily on a virus, SARS-CoV-2. That doesn’t mean that drug-resistant bacteria and fungi are no longer a threat, though.

CDC Warns About Drug-Resistant Bacteria:

The CDC is now reporting an alarming rise in drug-resistant bacteria called NDM-CRE (Annals of Internal Medicine, Sept. 23, 2025). That stands for New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. This group of germs has surged in recent years and can cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections, sepsis and wound infections. These bacteria are highly resistant to existing antibiotics, making treatment very challenging. Experts recommend testing and utilizing preventive strategies. These could include adherence to disposable gowns, gloves and masks when interacting with patients. Theoretically, such tactics should reduce the risk of spreading drug-resistant infections among patients. In 2019, the CDC had already identified C. diff, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriacea and gonorrhea as urgent threats in the US.

Death Toll from Drug-Resistant Infections to Hit 10 Million:

In the next couple of decades, experts expect the number of deaths from drug-resistant infections to exceed 10 million each year. The human and economic toll from superbugs will become staggering.

The director of the UN Interagency Coordination Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, Dr. Haileyesus Getahun, termed the situation “a silent tsunami.”

Bacteria are not the only organisms that have evolved to evade the medications we use to treat them. Within the last decade, a common fungus, Candida auris, has developed resistance to most antifungal medications.

What Can We Do About Drug-Resistant Pathogens?

The UN panel called for a coordinated global initiative to phase out the use of antimicrobials in animal feed; invest in new technologies to overcome drug resistance; and regulate the inappropriate use of antibiotics. All of these steps would reduce the development of further drug-resistant infections. Given the current state of the world, however, we don’t expect much progress soon.

Learn More:

You may wish to listen to some of the interviews we have done on related topics, including Show 948: Superbugs, Stethoscopes and New Technologies to Prevent the Spread of Infection.

Other podcasts touching on this topic include Show 1052: The Challenge of Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs; Show 1164: Will We Win the Race Against Emerging Superbugs? and Show 1407: Battling Superbugs with Nature’s Viral Warriors.