Superbugs on the frontline

Hospitals have made progress in recent years combating outbreaks of superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest reports show MRSA infections declined 54% between 2005 and 2011 with 9,000 fewer deaths among hospital patients. However, there are still about 80,000 cases and 18,000 deaths from the drug-resistant, deadly bacterium each year.

The ongoing struggle to end drug-resistant hospital-acquired infections will be the focus of a Frontline special tonight. “Hunting the nightmare bacteria,” which will run on local public television stations, is billed as an investigation of the “rise of deadly drug-resistant bacteria that modern antibiotics can't stop.” Let's hope they also focus on the steps many hospitals have put in place to halt the spread of all infections, which is likely responsible for the progress made against MRSA and other superbugs over the past decade.