Medical experts warn about spread of drug-resistant super-bug bacteria

We all harbor bacteria inside our bodies and become ill when too much of it grows.

Antibiotics then put it in check and we recover from being sick, but researchers say many strains are becoming more resistant, potentially threatening the health of millions of people.

More than 40 states are reporting an increase in cases of illness caused by resistant bacteria with a greater concentration on the east and west coasts.

Dr. Michelle Barron is the medical director of the infection prevention and control unit at the University of Colorado.

She says Colorado has only seen a few cases but we need to be prepared, “These are bacteria that normally live in your gut so there’s a lot of them… more so than just on your skin. So there’s potential for them to cause serious infection.”

Researchers are doing all they can to fight the bacteria, which most often causes complications in hospitals, but there are things you can do at home to protect your family.

Dr. Barron says the most important thing is limiting the use of antibiotics, so the bacteria doesn’t find a way to beat them. “Don’t take antibiotics if you don’t need them. If you are taking antibiotics finish them. I think people start feeling better then they stop taking them then you really haven’t wiped out the infection they were trying to treat in the first place.”

Doctors also say never underestimate the importance of hand washing, keep bathrooms disinfected and don’t share towels and toothbrushes.

Find more information from the Centers for Disease Control here.