Despite alarming stories from media outlets everywhere, the CRE superbug the "phantom menace" is not an imminent threat. At least not to anyone outside of a medical facility.
According to Amy Hector, the public health program director with the Stoddard County Health Center, people need to understand that CRE infections are almost always limited to being in healthcare facilities.
"Very rarely does anyone get CRE outside of a hospital, nursing home, or some other medical facility," Hector explained. "It's not like an airborne virus or something. It usually gets contracted when someone is being treated with some medically invasive equipment."
According to Hector, CRE typically develops in situations where a patient has a respirator, folic catheter, or any other such invasive medical apparatus.
"The 'E' in CRE stands for Enterobacteriaceae," she explained. "That bacteria is actually quite common. It's only when it gets outside the body that it becomes a threat."
A report, released by the CDC last week, concerns a strain of CRE that carries a plasmid capable of breaking down antibiotics. This strain of CRE, which has unofficially been dubbed the phantom menace, is more antibiotic resistant than other strains of CRE.
"Some strains of CRE can be defeated with certain antibiotics," Hector remarked. "It really depends on the strain."
Hector said she isn't very familiar with this new strain, though.
"I haven't received a health alert yet," she commented. "As far as I know there aren't any active cases in the state at this time. But it is something to be aware of."
Hector explained that in most cases, a patient getting CRE usually has a compromised immune system as a result of whatever treatment they're receiving.
"There was an outbreak (of CRE) at UCLA fairly recently, and that was a result of using endoscopic tubes," Hector noted. "The tubes hadn't been sterilized as well as they thought, so in come areas the bacteria was there."
Hector went on to explain that a healthy patient with CRE typically has little to no difficulty recovering from it.
Hector went on to explain that one common problem which contributes to superbugs is the overuse/abuse of antibiotics.
"In some cases, physicians will prescribe antibiotics when they aren't really needed," Hector said. "And antibiotics get misused a lot. People don't always take them like they're supposed to."
Hector said she believes we'll see more superbugs in the near future.
"Because of all the misuse of antibiotics, we're going to see more people developing stronger strains of illnesses, because whatever they may have will have more of a resistance to certain antibiotics," she remarked. "So, being a proactive patient is advised."
Hector explained that there is nothing wrong with requesting your nurse or doctor wash their hands prior to having any contact with you.
"In order for you to get CRE, there needs to be a break in the skin," Hector said. "The only place that is completely sterile in a hospital is the operating room."
She also mentioned home health as being an potential area of increased rates of infection.
"If you can get this in a hospital, just imagine how much easier it can be to get it if you're receiving some kind of invasive treatment at home," she remarked. "If you've got someone that has a bed sore, and they're incontinent with their bowels, then the bacteria can easily be spread that way. So, it's very important to keep everything clean."
Since June 2010, there have been 43 cases of this strain of CRE in 19 U.S. states. In the last three years, the CDC said there have been 11 cases per year -- which is in stark contrast to 2010, when only a single U.S. case was reported.
Hector emphasized that being proactive and being vigilant about cleanliness is a good step towards reducing risk of getting CRE.