Here are four things to know:
1. Tom Frieden, CDC director, has referred to CRE as “nightmare bacteria” as it is resistant to the majority of antibiotics, notably carbapenems. Providers often use carbapenems as a last-resort to fight bacteria.
2. To learn more about CRE, the researchers looked at patients who recovered from the bacteria in three Boston hospitals and a hospital in Irvine, Calif.
3. The primary goal of the investigation was to uncover if CRE spread from patient to patient in the hospital. The researchers noted they did not note a great deal of transmission but saw “a riot of diversity, ” STAT reports.
4. The findings raise questions as to how the bacteria are actually spreading and whether healthy people are carriers of CRE and transmitting it to others. Researchers noted the findings suggest the nation should increase CRE surveillance.
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