White House unveils plan to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

WASHINGTON – The White House on Friday announced a five-year plan to fight the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria amid fears that once-treatable germs could become deadly.

Repeated exposure to antibiotics can lead germs to become resistant to the drugs, so that they are no longer effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that drug-resistant bacteria cause 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses each year in the United States.

The World Health Organization said last year that bacteria resistant to antibiotics have spread to every part of the world and might lead to a future where minor infections like strep throat could kill. Antibiotic resistance also threatens animal health, agriculture and the economy.

President Barack Obama, who ordered the plan, said drug-resistant bacteria are one of the most serious public health issues.

“This is one of those problems that doesn’t always rise to the top of people’s day-to-day concerns until somebody in the family is impacted,” Obama told reporters Friday.

The White House’s overall goal is to prevent and contain outbreaks of infections at home and abroad. It’s aiming to maintain the ability of current antibiotics to fight illnesses and develop new treatments.

The plan is the result of an order Obama signed in September forming a task force on the issue. Obama also has asked Congress to nearly double its funding to fight antibiotic resistance to $1.2 billion.