Superbug in Chicago

Antibiotic-resistant superbug spreading in Chicago hospitals, nursing homes.
The Chicago Tribune (10/22, Graham) reported, "A dangerous, often deadly bacterium resistant to the most powerful antibiotics known to medicine is spreading in Chicago hospitals and nursing homes, prompting an effort to mobilize a regionwide response." Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC) bacteria "are a drug-resistant form of a common pathogen that was first reported 11 years ago in North Carolina." The article noted that "37 health facilities in Chicago reported an average of 10 KPC cases each, up from an average of four cases in 2009 in 26 facilities, according to a new study presented Friday at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America."