Antimicrobial resistance is responsible for 1.3 million deaths each year

Superbugs could claim 1.9 million lives per year by 2050

The increased use of antibiotics combined with an aging population, is projected to result in an almost 50% increase in global deaths from antimicrobial resistance each year. At the same time, antibiotic use for livestock is expected to increase by 30% over the same time frame.

Drug-resistant infections worldwide have increased by about 65% since 2000

Since 1990, antibiotic resistance has claimed at least one million lives annually and is projected to account for 39 million deaths between now and 2050 if current trends continue. The expanded use of antibiotics, particularly in agriculture, combined with a slowing pipeline of new drugs has led to the crisis.

More than 39 million people are expected to die from antimicrobial resistance by 2050

In 2024, researchers published an incredibly detailed study aimed at predicting the real-world impact of antimicrobial resistance over the next 25 years. The key findings were clear: the superbug crisis is poised to get much worse and needs to be addressed. This article offers a clear, concise overview of the study, which was published in The Lancet.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health problem

Over decades, bacteria have grown increasingly resistant to antibiotics. This resistance now causes an estimated 1.27 million deaths each year and is associated with nearly 5 million deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Overuse of antibiotics gives bacteria more opportunity to evolve their defenses

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics are significant contributors to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Experts say antibiotics should only be used for specific medical problems, and patients need to be sure to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed in order to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance.

Superbugs are bacteria and pathogens that rapidly evolve defenses against medication

Superbugs, or antibiotic-resistant bacteria, infect millions and pose a threat to global health. Developing new antibiotics is costly, offers limited profits, and struggles to outpace bacteria’s rapid evolution.

The international agreement to address antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance has become an increasingly glaring problem for both health and agriculture. In 2024, the United Nations announced a new suite of clear actions and targets that—taken together with existing efforts—can help address superbugs in a meaningful way and on a global scale. This page from the UN lays out these efforts, with links to additional information on the many aspects of the initiative.

Drug-resistant staph infection is one of the deadliest superbugs

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—the superbug version of staph infection—is responsible for more deaths than any other superbug, killing more than 120,000 people globally each year. The bug is leading cause of hospital infections, and is harmless on the skin but causes severe symptoms once inside the body.

Roughly 80% of US antibiotics sold each year go to agricultural use

Antibiotics have long been used in agriculture to treat diseases in animals and plants. However, antibiotics are also often misused, to treat non-bacterial diseases, to encourage growth in animals, and more. This expansive use of antibiotics has become one of the primary sources of the emergence of new superbugs.

Tips for reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is bad news. But there are lots of things you can do to both protect yourself from superbugs and help keep the problem of antimicrobial resistance from getting worse. This page from the CDC offers clear, straightforward guidelines that can help keep you—and your loved ones—healthy.

Resistant infections are no longer isolated and can spread worldwide

What does the rise of antibiotic resistance mean in practical terms? Maryn McKenna is a journalist at the forefront of covering antibiotic resistance since 2007. In this TED talk, McKenna lays out the very real consequences of antibiotic resistance—and what needs to be done to address the problem.

The most critical superbug strains (as of 2024)

The World Health Organization updated its list of the highest priority pathogens known to have developed antimicrobial resistance. Topping the 2024 update is Acinetobacter baumannii, carbapenem-resistant ("CRAB"), which has a mortality rate close to 50% and has evolved defenses against last-line medications. Download the full report here.

It can take 10 to 15 years and more than $1B to develop a new antibiotic.

Why don't we just develop new antibiotics? In part, it's a complex scientific challenge, but market incentives also play a significant role. It can be time consuming, expensive, and most notably, we should use as little as possible to avoid driving further antibiotic resistance.

Penicillin has saved an estimated 500 million lives since its creation

Since its introduction in the 1940s, penicillin and related antibiotics are estimated to have saved around 500 million lives worldwide—making it one of the most consequential medical breakthroughs in human history.

Fungal diseases cost the US around $19B annually

Estimates derived from health insurance claims, death certificates, and hospitalization data suggest that fungus is a significant medical issue. Each year, fungal diseases kill some 7,300 people—roughly the same number of deaths attributed to motor vehicles striking pedestrians. Around 130,000 people are hospitalized with fungal diseases, and the total national cost from fungal diseases is estimated to be about $19B—a figure that roughly matches Jamaica's entire gross domestic product.

Increasing contact between humans and wild animals is driving zoonotic threats

Zoonotic diseases, which spread from animals to humans, present one of the most significant emerging threats worldwide. Scientists have identified around 200 viruses capable of infecting humans, and unfortunately, the number of such diseases are on the rise—at least 60% of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin.

There are between 10 and 100 trillion bacteria in the gut

The composition of our microbiome is essential to overall health. Anything that disrupts the balance of the trillions of bacteria may be harmful—even treatments meant to fight infection, like antibiotics.

An estimated 1% of DNA mutations in bacteria can produce more dangerous strains

Researchers have developed a technique to monitor these mutations in real time. Using this technology, scientists found that mutations occur at a steady rate, with 1% leading to potentially deadly changes.

Influenza infects up to a billion people worldwide each year

The World Health Organization estimates that seasonal influenza causes about 1B cases annually, including 3 to 5M severe illnesses and between 290,000 to 650,000 deaths.

What if we killed every mosquito on Earth?

Mosquitoes aren't just annoying, they're deadly. they're also responsible for an estimated 725,000 deaths worldwide, every year. Would it be so bad if we found a way to wipe them out completely? Real scientists have gamed out this hypothetical scenario, concluding it actually wouldn't be that bad. This five-minute video breaks down one way this could happen.

One-third of the world’s food supply relies on pollinators

By supporting crop production and farmland ecosystems, these animals contribute over $200B to the global economy. A 3% to 5% decrease in this production may result in as many as 427,000 deaths due to nutritional deficiencies.

1 in 4 people around the world don't have access to clean water

Poor water sanitation puts people at risk of acquiring this diarrheal infection. Cholera infections are on the rise due to extreme weather events and conflict. In recent years there have been cholera outbreaks in locations that hadn't seen the disease in many years, including Haiti.

The prevalence of microplastics came from plastic’s affordability and versatility

Microplastics' durability and overuse have led to massive pollution that overwhelms the planet's ecosystems. Avian, terrestrial, and marine life have been observed to contain microplastics in their bodies, but reverting to paper, cotton, and other materials in manufacturing also brings environmental challenges.

Estimates suggest inactivity contributes to 6% of deaths worldwide

The World Health Organization identifies physical inactivity as the fourth leading modifiable risk factor for global mortality, just behind hypertension, tobacco use, and high blood glucose. Latest estimates are that inactivity contributes to 6% of deaths and significantly increases the burden of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Organized crime, including money laundering, drains $1.96T from the global economy annually

Overall, financial crime drains $3T from the global economy, with organized crime making up nearly $2T of that total. Drug trafficking is the second-largest drain on the global economy.

Watch how viruses like Ebola can spill over from animals to humans—and vice-versa.

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

Radioactive elements can introduce software errors because the ionizing radiation they produce can detach electrons from atoms, and computer code relies on the distribution of electrons.

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

Lesser-known phobias include turophobia, or the fear of cheese, and nomophobia, the fear of being without your cell phone.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Between 10 million and 50 million people in the US develop rashes from poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak each year.

Electrical grids worldwide must double their power delivery capacity by 2050 to meet surging demand from AI and electric vehicles.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

The Dracula character, now seen as the vampire archetype, was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmare its creator experienced.