The U. S. Centers for Disease Control has published an assessment of the threat Americans face from antibiotic-resistant germs, and it’s a bit sobering. The report is the first time hard numbers have been reported for deaths and costs related to fighting diseases that no longer respond to antibiotics.The numbers include 23,000 deaths, and an additional $20-billion a year in health care spending.
Dr. Christopher Waters of MSU’s Microbiology and Molecular Genetics department says bacteria not killed by antibiotics can repopulate, leaving cells that are resistant to treatment.