US hospitals and nursing homes are breeding grounds for deadly superbugs – CDC

Drug-resistant infections kill over 50,000 Americans annually, with 80% of deaths occurring in healthcare facilities, a report finds

More than four in five US deaths linked to drug-resistant infections involve pathogens commonly associated with hospitals and nursing homes, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The agency’s Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report released this week draws on data from 2023 and estimates that 19 types of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths annually in the US. Seven bacterial threats commonly associated with hospitals and nursing homes accounted for more than 42,000 of those deaths, along with nearly $12 billion in healthcare costs.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs develop the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them, making infections difficult or impossible to treat. Elderly people, those with weakened immune systems, and patients undergoing invasive medical procedures are particularly vulnerable.

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Among the pathogens classified as urgent threats is Candida auris, a potentially deadly fungus that can resist multiple medications and survive on surfaces in healthcare facilities. It primarily affects seriously ill patients and can cause dangerous bloodstream infections.

A separate CDC study published in July found that reported cases of Candida auris more than doubled from 2022-2024, rising from 2,882 to 6,197. Most cases for which the type of medical facility was identified were detected in hospitals, including those that provide long-term treatment for seriously ill patients.

The CDC noted that many healthcare-associated infections are preventable, but much of the progress in combating drug resistance was lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when staffing shortages, overcrowding, and disruptions to infection-control practices contributed to a rise in infections.

The warning comes as US hospitals face mounting financial and staffing pressures. A Harvard-led study published earlier this month found that 432 hospitals closed nationwide from 2010-2025, resulting in a net loss of 216 facilities and more than 24,000 beds.

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Nursing homes are also struggling with bed and staffing shortages. An investigation in September by KFF Health News found that declining capacity forced some patients to remain hospitalized longer because suitable care facilities were unavailable.