Drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause an estimated 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths in the United States each year.
The figures come from the 2026 Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency described it as its most comprehensive estimate yet of how drug-resistant germs affect Americans.
What Antibiotic-Resistant Actually Means?
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, fungi and other germs learn to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. Infections that once cleared up with a routine prescription can become harder to treat, last longer and sometimes turn deadly.
The problem also drains resources from the economy, including health care, agriculture and food production.
Officials first raised the alarm in 2013, when it reported at least 2 million resistant infections and 23,000 deaths a year.
A 2019 report raised those estimates to more than 2.6 million infections and nearly 44,000 deaths.
The newest numbers are higher still, but the agency cautions against a direct comparison. It changed its data sources and methods for the 2026 report, and said earlier editions should not be compared with the new one, with the exception of Candida auris.
Candida auris is a yeast that can spread in health care facilities and is often resistant to antifungal medicines. It can cause severe illness.
Setbacks During Pandemic Hit Hard
A 2022 CDC report found that much of the progress made before 2020 was lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals, health departments and communities were pushed near their breaking points.
A 2024 update showed that six types of drug-resistant, hospital-onset bacterial infections rose a combined 20% during the pandemic compared with the period before it. They peaked in 2021 and stayed above pre-pandemic levels in 2022.
Reported clinical cases rose nearly fivefold between 2019 and 2022, CDC said.
How Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Threats are Ranked
The 2026 report lists 19 bacterial and fungal pathogens, sorted into urgent, serious and concerning threats. It also includes a watch list of six pathogens whose full burden in the U.S. is not yet understood but that officials are monitoring as possible future risks.
For some germs, the report added estimates of health care costs and details on resistance to specific drugs.
Officials said reliable data is essential for shaping policy, investments and prevention efforts. The CDC notes that earlier reports helped inform the first National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.
The agency encouraged the public to share the report, use it in conversations with policymakers and learn what steps people can take to protect themselves and others from drug-resistant infections.
