CDC’s Map Shows Antimicrobial Resistance Funding to Global/Local Partners

CDC’s antimicrobial-resistant funding to global and domestic partners—from academic centers to local public health departments. CDC collaborates with partners to develop innovative strategies to slow the spread of AR, improve infection prevention and control, and safeguard individuals. Through CDC's investment, significant progress has occurred in enhancing the US and global capabilities to quickly detect, respond to, and contain existing and emerging AR threats.

Mary Alice Lavin, MJ, BSN, RN, CIC, FAPIC, is an infection control consultant at Hektoen Institute, LLC, Illinois Department of Public Health grantee, and spoke with Infection Control Today about the updated Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Investment Map.

She discusses antibacterial resistance and overviews the map and its origins.

“Antimicrobial resistance is not new; however, it is a growing concern. Even since the 1950s, or early 60s, when we first had treatments for Staphylococcus aureus, resistance developed quickly after those treatments became available. And over time, as we've seen different organisms of concern. We use antibiotics, and those germs become resistant. Now, one of the issues is that the germs can share those mechanisms of resistance with each other. And so one mechanism of resistance can then move on to another germ. Now that germ also has that mechanism of resistance, and as that occurs, more germs become resistant, potentially. And once they're resistant, there are fewer options for treatment. It makes it more difficult to treat those individuals. In some cases, unfortunately, there is nothing that can cure those individuals, and the cases are fatal.”

Lavin explains that the “goal of the map is to share the investment being made, certainly in the United States. It's also important to note that the CDC also funds initiatives overseas, and people may question why we are doing that. We know that germs are only a plane away. It's easy for people to travel and bring germs back. We also know that some medical tourism occurs and so people may go to other countries to receive medical care. In other countries, antimicrobials are not as well controlled as they are in the United States. In some countries, you can go into a store and ask for an antibiotic. And you don't need to have a prescription. And so when antibiotics are used more broadly, there's more pressure, and the germs and resistance develop more easily and more frequently. So if you've gone to one of these countries where antibiotics are not controlled, you receive medical care, and, unfortunately, are exposed to one of these germs, you return to the United States. Now that it gets introduced potentially into the health care environment. If people don't practice appropriately, cleaning their hands, using personal protective equipment, such as gowns and gloves, and ensuring instruments are adequately cleaned and disinfected, we shouldn't forget about the investments done overseas.”

These quotes have been edited for clarity.