CDC giving states $67 million to help fight antibiotic resistance

fective detection and identification of emerging antibiotic-resistant threats, said Nicole Coffin, a CDC spokeswoman.

The labs were strategically chosen across the country to help track changes quickly. They are located in Maryland, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, New York, Washington state and Wisconsin.

The funds will be distributed to all 50 state health departments and local health departments in Chicago, the District of Columbia, Houston, Los Angeles County, New York City, Philadelphia and Puerto Rico.

CDC officials said the funding, which will be available starting Monday, will dramatically expand public health officials’ ability to track infections in hospitals and other health care settings, better protect patients and increase coordination among medical providers.

Meanwhile, scientists in Germany hunting for ways to treat hard-tobeat bacterial infections have found a new antibiotic hiding right under our noses.

They found Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in the noses of about 30 percent of people, raising the question why the other 70 percent weren’t beset by this staph bacterium. A hardened variety, known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is among the superbugs that pose a growing health problem worldwide.

In a paper published online Wednesday, the researchers reveal that another in-nose bacterium appears to be keeping the rival staph at bay in some people by producing its own antibiotic. Microbiologist Andreas Peschel called the discovery “unexpected and exciting.” The Associated Press contributed to this story.