The largest outbreak yet of the “nightmare bacteria” CRE is fueling alarm among public health officials across the country. This superbug is resistant to virtually all antibiotics on the market today. Get the backstory with Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria, FRONTLINE’S 2013 investigation into the rise of superbugs like CRE — and why there aren’t new antibiotics to stop them — as well as great related classroom resources from PBS LearningMedia.
Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria is one of more than 150 films streaming for free on the FRONTLINE website. You’ll also find related content and classroom resources at PBS LearningMedia such as the following:
Life on Your Skin (Grades 6-8): This video segment from Science Friday explores the many different types of bacteria that live on our skin.
Putting Bacteria to Work (Grades 6-12): Learn how bacteria have proven very useful to science, medicine, and industry in this interactive slideshow from NOVA scienceNOW.
The Decreasing Effectiveness of Antibiotics (Grades 6-12): Discover why the overuse of antibiotics, unlike any other drug, decreases their effectiveness and creates a public health risk.