A new report from Florida TaxWatch suggests that antibiotic-resistant bacteria could cost the U.S. an extra $20 billion in health care bills each year.
Bacteria are evolving, becoming resistant to the antibiotics on which the public has relied for decades to keep them healthy.
The report said more than 2 million people in the U.S. are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year.
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UF Health chief of infectious diseases and immunology Dr. Mobeen Rathore said the resistance is partially because antibiotics are being overprescribed.
“Unfortunately, we also use antibiotics for infections for which they are not appropriate, like viral infections,” said Rathore.
Rathore said it’s expensive to develop new antibiotics that can keep up with the bacteria, and it’s also expensive to treat.
The Florida TaxWatch report said an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection developed during hospitalization can add as much as $29,069 in costs and nearly two extra weeks in recovery.
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“There’s cost for isolation, prolonged therapy, complications,” said Rathore.
Action News Jax asked Rathore what people can do to protect themselves.
“When you go to your doctor’s office -- whether you’re sick, you have a cold, you have a fever -- make sure you ask the question: ‘Is this antibiotic really necessary?’” said Rathore.
A Centers For Disease Control and Prevention study found that 30 percent of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary.
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