NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Untreatable - 10 dangerous antibiotic-resistant infections

By Rhonwyn Newson
Herald online·
2 Jul, 2014 06:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Staph bacteria are a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections. Photo / Thinkstock

Staph bacteria are a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections. Photo / Thinkstock

Every year, more than two million people in the United States get infections that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die as a result.

A report, Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late last year.

It presents a snapshot of the burden and threats posed by antibiotic-resistant infections.

1. Clostridium Difficile

Urgent threat

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This bacteria causes life-threatening diarrhoea, mostly in hospitalised or recently hospitalised patients. The infections mostly occur in people who have recently had antibiotics. C. difficile is a special kind of threat, the CDC says, because while antibiotic resistance is not currently a problem, the bacteria spreads rapidly, especially when antibiotic use kills other beneficial bacteria in the gut. This bacteria is naturally resistant to many drugs used to treat other infections. And, deaths are increasing due to a new, stronger strain of bacteria.

2. Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Urgent threat

These bacteria, known in the medical community as CRE, have become resistant to almost all of the antibiotics available today, even antibiotics of last resort. Almost half of hospital patients who contract bloodstream infections from CRE bacteria die from the infection.

3. Drug-Resistant Neisseria Gonorrhoeae

Urgent threat

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This type of bacteria causes gonorrhea, an STD that results in discharge and inflammation of the urethra, cervix, pharynx or rectum. It is now showing resistance to the antibiotics used to treat it. This highly-contagious disease can cause severe reproductive complications. The CDC is now recommending a combination of antibiotics, including an injection, as the first line of treatment for gonorrhea.

4. Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter

Serious threat

This type of bacteria causes pneumonia and bloodstream infections in critically-ill patients, especially those on mechanical ventilators.

5. Drug-Resistant Campylobacter

Serious threat

Discover more

New Zealand

Renting: What you can get for $450

13 Mar 06:00 AM
New Zealand

Ten $250,000 NZ homes

03 Jun 04:00 AM
Travel

Ten must-see New Zealand Airbnb spots

04 Jun 07:00 AM
World

The world's seven most expensive cities

26 Jun 04:00 AM

Campylobacter usually causes diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramps, and sometimes causes serious complications such as temporary paralysis. This type of bacteria is now showing resistance to two commonly-used antibiotics, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin.

6. Fluconazole-Resistant Candida

Serious threat

Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by yeasts of the genus Candida. There are more than 20 species of Candida yeasts that can cause infection in humans, the most common of which is Candida albicans. Candida is the fourth most common cause of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections in the United States. In some hospitals it is the most common cause. These infections tend to occur in the sickest of patients.

7. Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE)

Serious threat

Enterococci cause a range of illnesses, mostly among patients receiving healthcare, but include bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, and urinary tract infections. Some Enterococcus strains are resistant to vancomycin, an antibiotic of last resort, leaving few or no treatment options.

8. Extended Spectrum B-Lactamase (ESBL) Producing Enterobacteriaceae

Serious threat

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bacteria that contain an enzyme known as ESBL are resistant to strong antibiotics. In many cases, the only treatment option is an antibiotic of last resort, and use of these drugs is contributing to resistance. The presence of the ESBL enzyme means a patient is 57 percent more likely to die from a bloodstream infection.

9. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Serious threat

MRSA causes a range of illnesses, from skin and wound infections to pneumonia and bloodstream infections that can cause sepsis and death. Staph bacteria, including MRSA, are one of the most common causes of healthcare-associated infections.

10. Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

Serious threat

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, and surgical site infections. Some strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been found to be resistant to nearly all or all antibiotics.

Read the National Summary Data on Antibiotic Resistance in the US here:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Next trending article: Scientist creates deadly, untreatable flu

- nzherald.co.nz

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Why embracing mortality and our limitations may help us succeed

09 May 07:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

The man who made a nation cry: One Day’s David Nicholls heads to NZ

09 May 07:00 PM
Lifestyle

Must-see events in Auckland this Mother's Day weekend

09 May 07:00 PM

Sponsored: Top tier tiles - faux or refresh

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Why embracing mortality and our limitations may help us succeed

Why embracing mortality and our limitations may help us succeed

09 May 07:00 PM

Author Oliver Burkeman wants people to look at a different kind of self-help.

Premium
The man who made a nation cry: One Day’s David Nicholls heads to NZ

The man who made a nation cry: One Day’s David Nicholls heads to NZ

09 May 07:00 PM
Must-see events in Auckland this Mother's Day weekend

Must-see events in Auckland this Mother's Day weekend

09 May 07:00 PM
TVNZ presenter opens up about special bond with her mum

TVNZ presenter opens up about special bond with her mum

09 May 05:00 PM
Sponsored: How much is too much?
sponsored

Sponsored: How much is too much?

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP