The Threat of Antibiotic Resistance

What happens when the medicine we rely on to fight infections stops working? Bacteria evolve, and some can develop into superbugs that repel antibiotics. To fight back, we need fresh remedies—but it’s been more than 30 years since a new type of antibiotic has made it to market. Meanwhile, more than 2 million Americans fall ill with an antibiotic-resistant infection each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 23,000 of them die. U.S. Army veteran Carl Romm was 27 when he lost his life because of drug-resistant bacteria. In this episode, his parents, Chris and Joyce Romm, share their story with Pew’s Laura Margison and discuss the importance of combating this global public health threat. To learn more, visit pewtrusts.org/afterthefact.