Special Reports

9 Investigates: Mother says Marine son may have died from superbug

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Public health experts say they're worried about a rise in infections that don't respond to antibiotics. State officials blame the overuse of antibiotics, saying some patients take them unnecessarily.

In a 9 Investigation, Eyewitness News reporter Catherine Bilkey talked to a mother who said a drug-resistant infection might be to blame for the death of her Marine son.

Zeada Gadsden-Morris received the news in August of 2004: Her son, Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan Gadsden, had been injured during his second tour in Iraq. He was flown to Germany, then to Maryland, where she prayed by his bedside.

"I said, 'Jon, Jon, it's mom,'" Gadsden-Morris said. "And he heard me. He recognized my voice. I was excited just for that."

LINK: Helpful resources on antibiotic resistance

She said her 21-year-old Marine was a fighter. He was moved to a rehab facility in Tampa, Florida to continue his recovery and his mother thought he was just days from being discharged from there to come back home.

"I got excited," Gadsden-Morris said. "I really did."

But Jonathan may have been on the front line of another war -- against multi-drug resistant infections. According to his mother, he was on antibiotics, but those weapons were no match.

LINK: Helpful resources on CRE

"His room was at the end of the hall and I saw the crash cart in there," Gadsden-Morris said. "And when I was going towards his room, his doctor stopped me."

Jonathan -- who had survived a bullet to the helmet and an IED that destroyed his Humvee -- may have become the victim of an antibiotic-resistant infection. Across the world there's a rise in superbugs -- bacteria that don't respond to any antibiotics.

Eyewitness News went to Dr. Zack Moore of the North Carolina Division of Public Health to ask what hospitals do when a chart comes back and says a patient has an infection that's resistant to every medication.

"It's very scary obviously for the patient, for their family and for their providers," Moore said.

LINK: Helpful resources on C.diff

Moore said when patients have serious infections like C.diff, CRE, or acinetobacter, doctors often have to resort to older, more toxic methods like antibiotics with terrible side effects.

"Once they have [an infection] that's resistant to enough things, there might not be any treatment options left," Moore said.


What's causing the rise in these infections? Moore said overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics are partly to blame. That's why the state is working with doctors and patients to spread the word that antibiotics should be used only when needed.

Moore said patients shouldn't push for unneeded antibiotics and should have a good conversation with their doctor about their use.

Here are a few infections that are among the top concerns for the state and the CDC:

According to the CDC, nearly 250,000 people who require hospitalization or are hospitalized get Clostridium difficile every year. C. diff kills at least 14,000 people each year by causing deadly diarrhea. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, healthcare workers can spread these bacteria to patients through hand contact, which is why they encourage hand-washing with soap and water as a way to prevent the spread of C.diff.

According to the CDC, Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae have high levels of antibiotic resistance. People who are already sick often become victims of this germ family. Patients "taking long courses of certain antibiotics are most at risk for CRE infections," according to the CDC.

Acinetobacter is a group of bacteria that can be found in the soil and in water. According to the CDC, acinetobacter infections in the United States "rarely occur outside of healthcare settings." Acinetobacter is opportunistic and often infects people who are already ill. The infection is often antibiotic-resistant.

When a patient uses antibiotics, the bacteria left over can become resistant.

"Along with trying to be very careful and judicious with how we're using antibiotics, we've really had to ramp up our infection prevention measures to keep these things from spreading," Moore said.

LINK: Helpful resources on acinetobacter

Gadsden-Morris said she still doesn't know which nasty infection actually killed her son. It could have been a combination of issues. But Jonathan's story has inspired action. Advocates have used it to push for the creation of new antibiotics to fight super bugs.

His mother says he's creating change -- even after his death. She told Channel 9 she's incredibly proud of him, "In the midst of the pain."