The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention is warning doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and the general public about a new highly contagious bacteria killing about half of everyone who gets infected.

Hospitals says they are in a race against time to contain the nightmare super bacteria called "CRE".

Dr. Brian Currie at the Montefiore Medical Center says if this superbug were to spread outside of hospitals "it would be nothing short of catastrophic."

The bacteria, CRE, is a group of intestinal bacteria. The CDC estimates thousands of hospital patients are infected.

It's also highly contagious, the CDC says the bacteria is spreading like wildfire in nearly 200 hospitals and nursing homes in 42 states, including here in Nevada.

The bacteria is spread from patient to patient on the hands of health care workers.

It's important if you are visiting anyone in a hospital or nursing home to wash your hands before you get there, while you're there, and again before you leave.

If you are a patient in a hospital, make sure doctors and nurses are constantly washing their hands.

Sometimes these bacteria can spread outside the gut and cause serious infections, such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, wound infections, and meningitis