Antibiotic‑resistant bacteria have caused particular problems mainly in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, in the wider community, and in agriculture and the food chain. These settings all create strong opportunities for bacteria to spread and to be exposed to antibiotics, which drives resistance.

Hospitals and clinics

Antibiotic‑resistant infections are especially serious in hospitals, where many patients are vulnerable and receive intensive antibiotic treatment. Outbreaks of resistant organisms can shut down wards, prolong hospital stays, and increase deaths.

Key hotspots include:

  • Intensive care units, where ventilators, central lines, and catheters increase infection risk.
  • Surgical wards and transplant units, where patients often have open wounds and suppressed immune systems.
  • Long‑term care facilities, where close living quarters and frequent antibiotic use help resistant strains persist.

Common problem bacteria here include MRSA (methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus), VRE (vancomycin‑resistant Enterococcus), and carbapenem‑resistant Enterobacterales such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli.

Community settings

Over time, resistant bacteria that first appeared in hospitals have spread into the general community. This makes everyday infections harder to treat.

Examples of community problem areas include:

  • Skin and soft‑tissue infections caused by community‑associated MRSA, sometimes seen in sports teams, prisons, and military barracks.
  • Urinary tract infections due to resistant E. coli , which can fail first‑line oral antibiotics.
  • Drug‑resistant tuberculosis (MDR‑TB), particularly in crowded urban environments and regions with weak health systems.

Agriculture and food production

Using antibiotics in farm animals and aquaculture has contributed to resistant bacteria in livestock, soil, and water. These bacteria, or their resistance genes, can then move into humans.

Problem places in this sector include:

  • Industrial farms where antibiotics are used for growth promotion or routine disease prevention.
  • Slaughterhouses and food processing plants, where contamination of meat and equipment can spread resistant Salmonella and E. coli.
  • Areas with poor manure and wastewater management, which allows resistant bacteria to enter rivers and crops.

Global regions most affected

Antibiotic resistance is a global issue, but some regions see higher burdens and face greater challenges in controlling it.

Notable patterns include:

  • Higher rates of resistant infections in parts of South‑East Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Africa, where access to diagnostics, regulation of antibiotic sales, and infection control resources may be limited.
  • Rising rates of hard‑to‑treat infections in high‑income countries as well, especially in large hospital systems and long‑term care networks.

Overall, the “places” where antibiotic‑resistant bacteria cause particular trouble are less about single cities or buildings and more about types of environments: hospitals and ICUs, crowded community settings, and high‑intensity farming and food systems.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.