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NEW YORK: Infection rates from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” rose almost 70 percent between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists.
Bacteria that are difficult to treat due to the so-called NDM gene primarily drove the increase, CDC researchers wrote in an article published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Only two antibiotics work against those infections, and the drugs are expensive and must be administered through an IV, researchers said.
Bacteria with the gene were once considered exotic, linked to a small number of patients who received medical care overseas. Though the numbers are still small, the rate of US cases jumped more than fivefold in recent years, the researchers reported.
“The rise of NDMs in the US is a grave danger and very worrisome,” said David Weiss, an Emory University infectious diseases researcher, in an email.
It’s likely many people are unrecognized carriers of the drug-resistant bacteria, which could lead to community spread, the CDC scientists said.

That may play out in doctors’ offices across the country, as infections long considered routine — like urinary tract infections — could become harder to treat, said Dr. Maroya Walters, one of the report’s authors.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs such as bacteria and fungi gain the power to fight off the drugs designed to kill them. The misuse of antibiotics was a big reason for the rise — unfinished or unnecessary prescriptions that didn’t kill the germs made them stronger.
In recent years, the CDC has drawn attention to ” nightmare bacteria ” resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. That includes carbapenems, a class of antibiotics considered a last resort for treatment of serious infections.
Researchers drew data from 29 states that do the necessary testing and reporting of carbapenem-resistant bacteria.
They counted 4,341 cases of carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections from those states in 2023, with 1,831 of them the NDM variety. The researchers did not say how many of the infected people died.
The rate of carbapenem-resistant infections rose from just under 2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to more than 3 per 100,000 in 2023 — an increase of 69 percent. But the rate of NDM cases rose from around 0.25 to about 1.35 — an increase of 460 percent, the authors said.
A researcher not involved in the study said the increase is probably related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that there was a huge surge in antibiotic use during the pandemic, so this likely is reflected in increasing drug resistance,” said Dr. Jason Burnham, a Washington University researcher, in an email.
The CDC’s count is only a partial picture.
Many states are not fully testing and reporting cases. Even in states that do, cases tend to be among hospital patients sick enough to warrant special testing. Many hospitals also aren’t able to do the testing needed to detect certain forms of genetic resistance.
The CDC researchers did not have data from some of the most populous states, including California, Florida, New York and Texas, which means the absolute number of US infections “is definitely underestimated,” Burnham said.
This is not the first study to report a rise. A CDC report published in June noted an increase in NDM cases in New York City between 2019 and 2024.

 

DUBAI: Cyril Lignac — the French chef, restaurateur and media personality — opened a Dubai branch of his acclaimed French-Asian fusion restaurant Bar des Prés earlier this year, following its success in Paris and London.  

Originally from the Aveyron region in southern France, Lignac trained under several established chefs before opening his first Paris restaurant, Le Quinzième, in 2005. Since then, he has developed a diverse portfolio that includes restaurants, patisseries, a chocolatier and a cooking school. 

Lignac is also widely recognized for his work in television — he has appeared on several cooking and baking programs, including “Tous en Cuisine,” in which he cooked live from his home kitchen during the COVID-19 lockdowns — and for authoring several cookbooks. 

When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?  

I’m not sure I ever repeated a mistake, but I remember the first time I cooked for my parents. I was 18 years old and had just started my culinary training a few weeks earlier. I told my parents I was going to prepare truite meunière (trout in meunière butter), a classic of French cuisine. I started browning the trout, basting them generously with butter. After about 10 minutes, I figured they were nicely colored and it was time to deglaze with lemon juice before adding the final touch: my Grenobloise-style croutons. With a confident gesture, I poured the lemon juice into the pan. And then… boom! A huge flame shot up in front of me. While I stood there stunned, my father quickly grabbed the pan off the heat, and everything calmed down. I nearly set the house on fire. Luckily, it didn’t discourage me from continuing.  

What’s your top tip for amateur chefs? 

Cook with joy and to bring joy to others. There is no need to show off. A dish made with generosity, something everyone will enjoy sharing, is more than enough. 

What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?  

Espelette pepper. I’ve always used it regularly in my cooking, probably because of my Aveyron roots. It can be used just like black pepper, in all kinds of dishes, in marinades, or simply as a finishing touch on grilled meat or fish. 

What’s your favorite cuisine or dish to eat? 

I love all kinds of cuisine. French, of course, but also Italian, Japanese and Indian. I choose a restaurant and a dish based on what I’m craving at the moment. It can be something very simple, like beautiful seasonal green asparagus or a smash burger, or something more complex, like a whole fish in a crust or a slow-cooked dish in sauce. 

What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home? 

I always enjoy a simple plate of pasta with tomato sauce. 

What customer behavior most annoys you? 

The restaurant industry is a profession of passion and service. It is made up of men and women who give a lot. So what gets me the most is the lack of respect that some people sometimes show toward the teams. 

What’s your favorite dish to cook? 

I love making côte de boeuf (beef rib), simply grilled and served with aligot — a mashed potato and fresh Tomme cheese dish from the south of France. It reminds me of my childhood, joyful family dinners or meals with friends. It’s a meal of warmth and indulgence. 

What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right? 

They often say, “The simplest things are the hardest to accomplish.” This is very true in cooking. A simple dish leaves no room for mistakes. 

As a head chef, what are you like?  

I’m very demanding. I scrutinize every dish, every detail. Everything must be perfect. But on the management side, I believe I’m very approachable. I’m close to my teams, and they know they can come to me if necessary. 

Chef Cyril’s citrus and mint marinated sea bream recipe  

Preparation time: 20 minutes  

Serves four people  

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4 sea bream fillets 
1 zucchini 
2 to 3 white asparagus spears 
100 g cherries 
A few fresh mint leaves 
Sesame seeds 
Sea salt flakes 

For the citrus vinaigrette: 
10 g ginger 
1 g Thai chili 
3 tbsp orange juice 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tbsp cherry blossom or raspberry vinegar 
2 tbsp soy sauce 
1 tbsp grape seed oil 

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Prepare the vinaigrette. Peel and finely chop the ginger, deseed and chop the chili. 
Pour into a bowl with the citrus juices, vinegar, soy sauce, and oil. Mix well and set the vinaigrette aside. 

Step 2:  

Remove the skin from the fish fillets, cut them in half along the central bone, then remove the red parts and any bones. 

Rinse the fish under cold water and place them on paper towels. 

Slice them into thin pieces and arrange them on plates. 

You can keep the carpaccios covered in the fridge and finish assembling the plates just before serving. 

Step 3:  

Wash and slice the zucchini into thin strips, then cut each strip into 4 equal parts on the diagonal. 

Peel the asparagus and slice them thinly using a vegetable peeler. 

Wash, stem, and pit the cherries, then cut them into quarters. 

Wash and finely chop the mint leaves. 

Step 4:  

On the carpaccio plates, delicately place the raw zucchini slices and asparagus shavings in the center of the fish slices. 

Drizzle with citrus vinaigrette, season with sea salt flakes, add the cherry quarters, sprinkle with chopped mint, and finish with sesame seeds.