Antibiotic resistant bacteria cases down in Sioux City

Sioux City Health officials say they’ve seen a dramatic decrease in bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics in area hospitals. Siouxland Health Department Director Steven Quirk says the “V-R-E” bacteria has caused problems in hospitals across the country.He says cases of V-R-E have dropped by 75-percent in the last three years. Quirk says they’ve been able to keep track of V-R-E through a program that’s drawn nationwide attention.They set up a system that tracks data from all the hospitals in the area. He says cooperation has helped cut down the number of cases of V-R-E.State Health Department officials established a task force earlier this year to try and help reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria. Officials says it can be reduced by tracking illness and not prescribing antibiotics when they’re not needed.talent in back-to-back games.Tracey Williams KCNZ Cedar Falls