Study: Superbugs are increasing in southeastern U.S. hospitals

The rate of the superbug carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) increased fivefold in community hospitals in the southeastern United States from 2008 to 2012, and it’s likely to continue to grow, according a new study.

Published in the August Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the study finds that the increase in CRE rates is due to growing reservoirs and transmission of CRE and improvement in detection. The researchers say the rates are likely underestimates of the true CRE rates in the hospitals studied.

Read about the study here.