Drug-resistant superbugs are hitting U.S. hospital patients harder than ever, and the problem goes way beyond one type of bacteria. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a sharp rise in CRE infections—those tough carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales germs that doctors first spotted in the U.S. back in 2001. From 2019 to 2023, these infections tripled, leading to about 1,100 deaths. But experts say the real issue runs deeper: dirty hospitals spread all kinds of killer germs, not just CRE.
CRE stands for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, a family of bacteria that laugh off most antibiotics. Doctors can only fight them with strong IV treatments, and even those fail half the time, leaving patients to battle severe illness or worse. The CDC blames poor hospital hygiene for the spread—healthcare workers often skip handwashing between patients, and staff don’t always thoroughly clean rooms or sanitize equipment, including tools inserted directly into patients.
This isn’t just a CRE problem. Hospital-acquired infections kill around 100,000 Americans each year from everyday bacteria jumping from one patient to another. As more germs evolve into drug-resistant superbugs like MRSA or C. diff, stepping into a hospital could turn riskier unless places prioritize cleanliness.
Think about this: The biggest clue to who catches a hospital infection isn’t a patient’s age or condition—it’s their room or bed assignment. A study of New York City hospitals, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, found that if the previous occupant had an infection, the next patient’s risk jumps nearly five times. Germs hide on bedrails, call buttons, curtains, and mattresses long after discharge.
Take C. diff, short for Clostridium difficile, the top hospital-spread infection that claims nearly 30,000 lives a year. It spreads through fecal-oral contamination—tiny traces from one patient’s waste end up in another’s mouth. How? Often from a contaminated mattress. Researchers at Emory University tracked patients and discovered that using a bed where someone had C. diff—even up to 90 days earlier—more than doubles the infection risk. Mattresses soak up bodily fluids and rarely get deep cleaned, maybe once a year at best.
The CDC has warned about these “nightmare bacteria” for years—former director Tom Frieden first used the term for CRE in 2013. Back in 1970, hospitals stopped routinely testing surfaces for bacteria because antibiotics seemed like a sure fix. But superbugs like CRE, MRSA, and C. diff now shrug off those drugs, turning lax hygiene into a deadly gamble.
New Yorkers face extra worry: Despite being a healthcare hub, the state reports higher-than-average hospital infection rates, per the Department of Health. That’s bad news for patients and the bottom line.
The fix starts with basics—strict cleaning rules. The CDC needs to replace its vague guidelines with clear, mandatory standards for hospital hygiene to stop these drug-resistant infections in their tracks. Until then, if you’re visiting a loved one, ditch the flowers and grab bleach wipes instead. Wipe down high-touch spots like bedrails and call buttons. A Mayo Clinic study showed this simple daily routine slashed C. diff infections by 86%. It could make all the difference.
Betsy McCaughey, former New York lieutenant governor and co-founder of SAVENYC.org, calls for urgent change to protect patients from these preventable hospital threats.
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