Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15  is an optimization suite for your Windows PC. The program removes junk files, fixes system errors and maximizes the performance and stability of your computer. The three popular cleaners have been updated to support the latest browsers and now support auto-cleaning to rid your machine of browsing traces, temporary files (Java, Flash etc.) and installation leftovers. Win10 Privacy Control and AntiSpy help guard your privacy by disabling services and system functions that may be used to send out personal information without your knowing or consent. WinOptimizer 15 can also effectively manage your Autostart applications, system services and processes. The tweaking module allows you to customize the look and feel of your Windows to your needs. With extensive system and hardware analysis capabilities built in, Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 also keeps full track of the health and integrity of your system. Details about the status of your hard disks, disk space usage according to data formats or installed components are always just a few clicks away. All modules have been overhauled and now work up to 50x faster compared to the predecessor. The user interface and program handling have also been completely redesigned for clarity and readability. If you are using a SSD drive, you will benefit immensely from the new SSD Wizard module.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 comes with over 30 modules for advanced system optimization. Special emphasis was placed on the new design and the significantly enhanced program handling. CPU-intensive modules like "DiskSpace Explorer" (10x faster), "Duplicate Finder" (50x faster) or Undeleter now run considerably faster in version 15. With major enhancements and updates across all modules, the new optimized user interface offers more comfort and ergonomic handling than any previous WinOptimizer.

Secure, fast and clean - in just a few clicks!
Even modern systems slow down eventually, become faulty and amass junk data. Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 takes care of these issues - with unparalleled speed and efficiency. It does not take any prior knowledge or lots of time and your computer will feel like new again! Let WinOptimizer help you make the most of your PC and protect, clean and optimize your machine for maximum performance every time!

Design meets performance
Not only does WinOptimizer 15 boost the performance of your system, the program itself has also seen major speed improvements. Demanding modules like DiskSpace Explorer that analyze the file distribution on your disks or Duplicate Finder that scans your machine for duplicates now run considerably faster. Aside from a general speed boost, the usability concept has also been redesigned and updated based on years of experience and countless user surveys. The result is a better streamlined and more ergonomic tuning solution.

Ultimate power
Our most popular modules have been completely revised and future-proofed for superior speed and stability. As a result, classics like Duplicate Finder and Undeleter are now up to 50x faster! Even DiskSpace Explorer that usually processes giant amounts of data now works up to 10x faster. This phenomenal speed boost in WinOptimizer 15 was achieved through low-level system programming by Ashampoo's system tuning specialists!

More privacy, security and disk space
WinOptimizer 15's powerful cleaners rid your system of all junk files. This not only includes temporary or cached files but also no longer needed cookies and your browsing history that may compromise your privacy. Alternatively, you can also scan for duplicate files such as copies of photos and documents you may have stored in different locations.

A classic: 1-Click Optimizer
1-Click Optimizer fixes several computer issues at once using 3 powerful cleaning modules. Internet Cleaner removes browser traces that not only occupy precious space but also undermine your privacy. Drive Cleaner deletes no longer needed files to reclaim disk space for you. Registry Cleaner removes invalid Registry entries to prevent system errors and to speed up your system. It only takes a single click to make the magic happen!

Better privacy control especially for Windows 10
Windows 10 collects more user data than any Windows before it. Win10 Privacy Control gives control over your computer back to you! Finally, you decide which passwords and telemetry data or photos are sent to Microsoft - or kept to yourself! Will you allow apps to update automatically or even access your messages and calendar entries? The decision is yours, Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 will enforce it rigorously for you!

Full performance on demand
Need the full power of your PC? Live-Tuner and Game-Booster are your friends! Live-Tuner reprioritizes and accelerates applications where it matters. Game-Booster shuts down non-essential background services and applications to provide more resources and optimal performance for your games. Once you exit a game, the system will auto-revert to the previous state - it's genius!

Cutting-edge cleaners
For maximum accuracy, cleaners have to be frequently updated. Browser traces and temporary files are hidden in various locations on your hard disk. Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 constantly tracks these files and provides deep cleaning on demand.
Clean up automatically - instantly!
WinOptimizer uses sophisticated algorithms to delete no longer needed files automatically. Web browser traces and temporarily files are removed as soon as you close your browser. This includes Adobe Flash, Reader, Quicktime and Java temporary files, nothing escapes AutoClean! This will keep your files safe and your system lean and fast!

Keep track of your system
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 shows you exactly what's going on your machine. For example, if the health of your hard disks deteriorates, you will be instantly notified before disaster strikes. If you need to know how much space your files take up, which hardware components are built into your PC or which processes are currently running in the background, WinOptimizer will have you covered!

Over 30 useful modules
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 can do more than just clean and optimize your machine. Whether you need to customize Windows, edit or recover files or analyze your system, WinOptimizer has a feature for you. The integrated backup mechanism ensures you can always reverse your changes later so you can freely discover the over 30 powerful modules!


Prize:

1 x  Ashampoo WinOptimizer 15 license 
 
If you would like to be entered in this giveaway then just leave a comment below.

I will randomize and pick 1 winner once giveaway has ended on Apr. 14, 2018


The giveaway is over

About:
Cakewalk aka SONAR  is a complete music production package, featuring advanced DAW and effortless workflow.
Sonar Platinum previously available for USD $499, Worldwide musicians including Emmy and Grammy-winning sound designers, engineers and composers used SONAR aka Cakewalk to produce professional audio for films, music, and video games.

For past 30 years the Sonar Platinum is one of the best professional audio software, now the new developers BandLab made the software as a free download for Windows systems.
BandLab Technologies acquired all of Cakewalk’s IP and assets from Gibson Brands (previous developers).
The entire SONAR Platinum feature set is relaunched as ‘Cakewalk by BandLab’ and the iconic DAW now available free to download for everyone.

The revived DAW includes all core premium features of SONAR Platinum such as the award-winning Skylight user interface, flexible ProChannel modules, and powerful end-to-end 64-bit mix engine.
Cakewalk will be a great partner for musicians working to make their DAW better which quickly adopted new Windows features like pen, Bluetooth MIDI, multi-touch, Dial, and more.



Download:
https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk

->Click “Get Early Access Now” and download online installer BandLab Assistant

->Install BandLab Assistant, launch the program and either create an account or connect with Facebook or Google account.

->Next, on BandLab Assistant Window, click Apps and install Cakewalk.

About:
When you want to bring a great idea online, the most important part is getting started. WebSite X5 Start has all the essentials to guide you, and our Drag & Drop Builder helps you add content to your pages even if you don't know how to code. All the basics for publishing your first project online are included, making building a website easy and fun.

Giveaway Page:
https://www.giveawayoftheday.com/website-x5-start-15/#

Giveaway Page:
http://triffiq.com/competitions/TRFQ13

(Giveaway Expires on April 16)

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/50-...smsnnews11      50-car pileup reported on Highway 400 near Barrie   cbc.ca
CBC/Radio-Canada
3 hrs ago   As many as 50 vehicles have collided on Highway 400 near Barrie, Ont., bringing the southbound lanes to a standstill, Ontario Provincial Police say. 

Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says there are no serious injuries and it appears that the massive pileup was caused by snowy weather in the area.

Schmidt described the crash as "a mess" and said officers are on the way to the scene. 

The collision happened near Bayfield Street.

Police are urging motorists to exit at Duckworth Street to avoid the site.

https://potplayer.daum.net/       
update
1.7.10667 2018/04/04
+ Added the ability to play MP4 streams
- Improved seeking speed with Built-in HTTP Async Reader
- Modified playlist handling to work asynchronously when possible
- Fixed a problem where playback of AVI files did not work properly
- Fixed an issue where codec-related settings were reset when switching presets
- Fixed a problem that causes the program to crash when Built-in D3D11 Video Renderer is used in Windows 8
- Fixed an issue where multiple color tags could not be read when subtitle time period is started from 0
- Fixed a problem that prevents playback of certain fragmented MP4 files  :    100% Scanned Malware Free & Clean With Emsisoft Anti Malware & Digital Signature: ( Kakao corp. )

https://icecreamapps.com/Image-Resizer/changelog.html       Image
Resizer
Download
VERSION: 1.51 SIZE: 15.4MB
1.51
4 Apr 2018
Latest version
Non-admin users better support   :   https://icecreamapps.com/Download-Image-Resizer/      Image
Resizer
Download Image Resizer
Product: Icecream Image Resizer
Version: 1.51 Size: 15.4 Mb                                               
System: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP
License: FREE  :  100% Scanned Malware Free & Clean With Emsisoft Anti Malware & Digital Signature: ( Icecream Apps Ltd )

http://www.kcsoftwares.com/bugs/changelo...ject_id=11      SUMo - Change Log
SUMo - 5.6.1
 Released 2018-04-04
 0004800: [Bug]  Useless log entry in settings load sequence (Kyle_Katarn)
 0004799: [Bug]  Window position not saved in Portable mode (Kyle_Katarn)
 0004758: [Refactoring]  Inkscape company rationalization (Kyle_Katarn)
 0004792: [Bug]  "UninstallView" should not be filtered out (Kyle_Katarn)    100% Scanned Malware Free & Clean With Emsisoft Anti Malware & Digital Signature: ( KC Softwares )

http://downloadcenter.mcafee.com/product...readme.txt      Stinger Release Notes

Build Number: 12.1.0.2714
Build Date: 04-Apr-2018

Stinger 32bit                 MD5: fbd4915719c83f1ba55a1c30e4a9656f
                              SHA1: 36d99566c3ac159bb7191219c3d4a76256389e78

Stinger-ePO 32bit             MD5: 1a240d538e1912c2d3e002abbf9525c1
                              SHA1: 33e206883637ccc1ca1803c1b824e63b365e8412

Stinger 64bit                 MD5: bae02166e8cdf1b897bbb3428536fe47
                              SHA1: 824d935a7153494615cba4a8bd2fc3f9c1b6f805

Stinger-ePO 64bit             MD5: 59f11aadbb3fd7376f016ab5449fd4f6
                              SHA1: 33636a5dd13f66a13ff2db920dbf076eea9101f9

   
Enhanced detections are those that have been modified for this release. Detections are enhanced to cover new variants, optimize performance, and correct incorrect identifications.

New Detections:


Enhanced Detections:
• Exploit-CVE2017-8759
• Generic Trojan.i   : 100% Scanned Malware Free & Clean With Emsisoft Anti Malware & Digital Signature: ( McAfee, Inc.)

https://www.avg.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download       NEW

AVG AntiVirus FREE
Installs in moments. Protects forever.   Fully loaded and refreshingly simple
 

Our free antivirus just got even better. It now includes real-time security updates, scans for both malware and performance issues, and even catches malicious downloads before they reach your PC. It’s also got an all-new, refreshingly simple design that shows you exactly how you’re protected. All of this, and it still won’t slow you down!

Free antivirus is great. But it gets even better.
 

Whether you choose free or full protection, you've got impressive security that even updates itself automatically. And with a cutting-edge virus scanner that blocks and removes viruses, you can be reassured that you and your family are protected from the latest threats.
AVG AntiVirus FREE
 
Essential free protection
that won't let you down

Stop viruses, spyware, ransomware & other malware
Block unsafe links, downloads, & email attachments
Scan for PC performance problems
Get real time-security updates    System Requirements

Windows Logo
Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP SP3

Feature icon Apple
OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion or above

Feature icon Android
Android 2.2 or above :   100% Scanned Malware Free & Clean With Emsisoft Anti Malware & Digital Signature: ( AVG Netherlands B.V.)

https://www.avg.com/en-ca/internet-security        NEW

AVG Internet Security
Protect all your personal devices with our best-in-class security

$74.99/year

Protect your personal files and your private life
Malware doesn’t just affect your PC anymore — it’s gotten personal. Through ransomware and webcam spying, hackers can get to your most personal files and photos, or even peep into your home. AVG Internet Security now comes with new Webcam Protection and Ransomware Protection features to secure your personal files — and your private life.

 Feature Computer Protection
Computer Protection

 Feature Web & Email Protection
Web & Email Protection

 Feature Hacker Attack Protection
Hacker Attacks Protection

 Feature Private Data Protection
Privacy Protection

 Feature Payment Protection
Payments Protection

 Feature Unlimited Family Protection
Whole Family Protection

Computer Protection
Our first line of defense for your PC

 

Our advanced antivirus scans for, removes and flat-out stops viruses, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, Trojans, and other nasty malware — and because it all happens in real time, we can catch threats before they reach you. We secure your USB and DVD drives just as quickly, too.

Our favorite bit? It updates your security automatically, and uses advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and real-time analysis to help stop even the newest threats from getting near you.

gray hacker icon
 >Web & Email Protection
Web & Email Protection
The safest way to connect

 

Your email has never been safer. Our Email Shield technology specifically targets email attachments to stop threats, wherever they may come from — malicious senders or friends sending malware out unknowingly.

Your online security is guaranteed with real-time link & download scanning, and protection against unsecure Wi-Fi spots. If you click it, we scan it — with our best internet security software, you always know your way is clear.

Hacker Attacks Protection
Keep hackers and ransom seekers away

 

Our Enhanced Firewall gives you full control over exactly who and what comes in and out of your PC. And our Ransomware Protection provides an extra layer of protection against ever-increasing ransomware attacks. That means nobody messes with any of your private data, files, photos, and passwords — no hackers, no ransomware, nothing.

Hacker Attack Protection
 white laptop with AVG Internet Security data safe screen
Privacy Protection
Don’t let anyone snoop on you

 

Keep peeping Toms and suspicious applications from accessing your webcam, encrypt and hide your most private photos and files, or permanently shred documents you’re done with.

Payments Protection
Shop and bank online freely and securely

 

Whether browsing, banking, or shopping, this is the added internet protection you need. We block spam and scams, and even help you avoid fake copycat websites, to prevent you from accidentally giving our passwords or credit card numbers to the bad guys.

System Requirements

Windows Logo
Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP SP3

Feature icon Apple
OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion or above

Feature icon Android
Android 2.2 or above    2018 AVG Technologies.   : 100% Scanned Malware Free & Clean With Emsisoft Anti Malware & Digital Signature: ( AVG Netherlands B.V.)

Wise Care 365 Pro

https://www.profesyonelindir.com/wise-care-365/

http://news.softpedia.com/news/windows-1...0550.shtml       Windows 10 Receives Antivirus Patch Fixing Flaw Found by Google Researcher

Microsoft malware protection engine RCE flaw found
Apr 4, 2018 12:06 GMT  ·  By Bogdan Popa ·  Share:      
Microsoft has delivered an emergency security update for the Malware Protection Engine after a Google engineer discovered a Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaw that would allow an attacker to even take control of a vulnerable system.

Since the bug exists in the Malware Protection Engine that powers Microsoft’s security products, Windows Defender, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 and 2016, as well as Microsoft Security Essentials, are all exposed to exploits. The flaw was discovered by Thomas Dullien of Google Project Zero.

Microsoft explains in an advisory (via BC) that a successful attack involves the antivirus solution scanning a crafted file. In other words, the attacker must find a way to drop this file on the target system, and Microsoft says that the typical methods can be used, such as instant messaging, email, or direct downloads from third-party websites.

Patch, patch, patch
The vulnerability is triggered when the antivirus solution scans the malicious file, and if real-time protection is not enabled, the attacker must wait until the scanning begins, Microsoft says.

“If the affected AntiMalware software has real-time protection turned on, the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine will scan files automatically, leading to exploitation of the vulnerability when the specially crafted file is scanned. If real-time scanning is not enabled, the attacker would need to wait until a scheduled scan occurs in order for the vulnerability to be exploited. All systems running an affected version of antimalware software are primarily at risk,” the firm says.

The new patch fixes the way Microsoft’s Malware Protection Engine scans crafted files, so once the update is deployed, even if the compromised item lands on your system, an exploit should no longer be effective.

The version of the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine that you need to update to in order to be protected is 1.1.14700.5. You can check this version by launching the Windows Defender Security Center and going to Settings > About.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/wha...smsnnews11      What's causing the Earth to split open in Kenya?
 CBS News 
Chip Reid
19 hrs ago
WASHINGTON -- A giant crack in the Earth opened up almost overnight, 50 feet deep and at its widest 65 feet across, slicing through a highway and terrifying many who live in an area just west of Nairobi, Kenya.

So what caused it? Well, it depends which scientist you ask.

"We're seeing a crack that in all likelihood formed over many thousands of years or hundreds of thousands of years," said Ben Andrews, a geologist with the Smithsonian.

Some scientists, like Andrews, believe that the crack was recently exposed by a rainstorm. But he says its true cause goes deeper, and that it was created by the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates, sections of the Earth's crust that move about one inch a year. In 50 million years, he says Africa may split in two.

Other scientists, like earthquake geologist Wendy Bohon, agree that Africa is slowly splitting in two, but she thinks the gash was created in a flash.

"I think it's an Earth fissure, the same sort of thing that you see in Arizona after heavy rain storms," Bohon said. "They're the result of heavier torrential rains that come and wash away large portions of the dirt in the ground. To me it looks pretty cut and dry. It wasn't a result of the tectonics, it was the result of the weather."


A mysterious gash in the Earth at the very spot where Africa is being slowly torn apart.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/nas...smsnnews11       NASA awards contract to build 'X-plane' for supersonic air travel
 The Hill The Hill
Mallory Shelbourne
2 hrs ago
SHARE
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu speaks during the Conference on International Security in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 4, 2018. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)Russian officials accuse West of inciting new Cold War
NASA has granted Lockheed Martin a $247.5 million contract to design and construct an airplane for supersonic commercial air travel, the space agency and defense company each announced on Tuesday.

Lockheed will work on the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration, also known as the X-Plane, through the end of 2021.

"It is super exciting to be back designing and flying X-planes at this scale," NASA associate administrator for the aeronautics research mission directorate Jaiwon Shin said in a statement.

"Our long tradition of solving the technical barriers of supersonic flight to benefit everyone continues."

NASA said it would conduct its own tests on aircraft, which will fly at approximately 940 miles per hour at a height of 55,000 feet, upon Lockheed's completion of the plane.

a sign on the side of a building
© Provided by The Hill
The aircraft will fly over specific cities in the United States in 2022 to analyze how the public reacts to the flights, the space agency said.

"We're honored to continue our partnership with NASA to enable a new generation of supersonic travel," Peter Iosifidis, the program manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works' Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator, said in a statement.

"We look forward to applying the extensive work completed under QueSST to the design, build and flight test of the X-plane, providing NASA with a demonstrator to make supersonic commercial travel possible for passengers around the globe."


The plane's design is meant to decrease the noise of a sonic boom, which occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/ra...smsnnews11     'Rare' blue jellyfish-like creatures showing up in greater numbers on Tofino, B.C., beaches
 cbc.ca 
Cathy Kearney
13 hrs ago
Long weekend visitors to Tofino, B.C., might have thought they were witnessing something out of science fiction, with hundreds of tiny, blue, jellyfish-like creatures covering the beaches.

But what was initially thought of as a rare sighting of Velella velella is likely the new normal.

Mayor Josie Osborne says spring-time strandings of Velella velella on Tofino's beaches has grown over the last decade due to warming ocean temperatures.

"We've been seeing hundred of thousands of tiny baby Velella velellas ," said Osborne. "In the past few days, we've been seeing much larger individuals, more fully formed adults if you will."  

Warm water conditions coupled with the right amount of plankton created the current population boom, according to Osborne, who is also a marine biologist.

The creatures, also known as "by-the-wind sailors" because of the sails on their backs, are small carnivorous animals related to jellyfish that live on the surface of the water, normally hundreds of miles offshore.

They can't swim, so their movements are dictated by wind. Tofino had wind gusts up to 56 km/h over the weekend.

"It's a one-way trip that doesn't end well," said Osborne. "That's the result of these sustained westerlies. They just have no way of getting back in the ocean."

Careful where you step. Thousands of Velellas washed up on Tofino's shores Easter weekend. Their sting won't harm humans or four-legged friends
© Emily Brass/CBC Careful where you step. Thousands of Velellas washed up on Tofino's shores Easter weekend. Their sting won't harm humans or four-legged friends
Velellas don't survive long once they hit the beach. The body dissolves, and what's left behind are, depending on the size of the influx, hundreds of thousands of little plastic-looking dried up sails.

"We've had visitors come to the visitor centre and say, 'oh my God! There's plastic garbage all over the beach," said Osborne.

"But it's not. It's just the sail ... and they take a little longer to rot away."

Quote:Zoom Player MAX is a feature-filled media player for Windows that allows you to play pretty much all video and audio files, plus supports DVD and Blu-ray playback. It even works with touch Windows tablets. Try it now and enjoy a magnificent media playback experience!

About:
Print file tree and directory content in 1 click with Print Maestro. All is done by an intuitive graphical interface. Lots of printing templates are available: directory printing with sizes, lists of photo (date, exif info), audio (sample rate, bitrate, etc), list of videos (size, duration, width, height, codec). You may print file version info report (Company Name, Version Info, Copyright, Product version). PrintMaestro is very flexible. You can tune printing templates to your taste. It’s so easy to finally know what files you have on your hard drive. Download your free copy of PrintMaestro now and print folders with content.

Giveaway Page:
https://sharewareonsale.com/s/free-print...0-discount
&
Here:
https://sales.promo2day.com/?page_id=5
OR

:arrow:
SOS Exclusive Download & License:

Spoiler

Download:
http://downloads.sharewareonsale.com/fil...aestro.exe


Registration Name:Giveaway Home Use
Registration Email:giveaways@sharewareonsale.com
Registration Key:B9GVUQ-E9UHY-BFTYU-3QCNH-G657C-FUVYD

• This is a 1-computer lifetime license, for noncommercial use
  
• No free updates; if you update the giveaway, it may become unregistered
  
• No free tech support
  
• You must redeem the license key before this offer has ended
  
• May not be resold
  

• Developed by:CoolUtils
  
• Version is v5.1.1
  
• Download size is 22.1 MB
  
• Supports Windows 7, 8/8.1, and 10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  

http://www.tmz.com/2018/04/02/stan-lee-b...ole-blood/      STAN LEE
MY BUSINESS ASSOCIATE IS A BLOODSUCKER!!!
1.2K
 96  4/2/2018 1:00 AM PDT
Stan Lee's Former Business Associate Allegedly Stole His Blood
EXCLUSIVE
Stan Lee's former business associate is like a vampire ... he literally sucked the blood out of Stan's body -- well, not exactly literally, but close.

Here's what we're told. The businessman went to Stan's personal nurse back in October with a forged document giving him authority to order a blood sample from the Marvel maven. Our sources claim he told the nurse to fill several vials and she obliged. We're told she took so much Stan became dizzy.

No one from Stan's camp had a clue the samples were taken, but we're told his friend and partner, Keya Morgan, recently discovered the possible foul play. We're told Stan's people believe the former business associate has commissioned pens -- presumably linked to Stan and Marvel -- and the pens have an ink substitute ... blood!!!

Stan's peeps believe the business associate plans to sell the pens for a fortune, and they want to put a stop to it STAT. So Stan's team has hired attorney Jonathan Freund to get to the bottom of the alleged plasma plot and not only file a lawsuit, but a police report as well.

Stan's team believes the former business associate also pilfered $300k from the comic legend. And they also believe the guy bought an $850k condo with Stan's money.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/superbug-a...-1.4603618       Drug-resistant 'nightmare bacteria' pose growing threat, CDC says
'Essentially, we found nightmare bacteria in your backyard,' CDC official says
The Associated Press · Posted: Apr 03, 2018 4:58 PM ET | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

In the first nine months of the year, more than 5,770 samples were tested for bacteria on the verge of being untreatable. (David Goldman/Associated Press)
"Nightmare bacteria" with unusual resistance to antibiotics of last resort were found more than 200 times in the United States last year in a first-of-a-kind hunt to see how much of a threat these rare cases are becoming, health officials say. 

That's more than they had expected to find, and the true number is probably higher because the effort involved only certain labs in each state, officials say.

The problem mostly strikes people in hospitals and nursing homes who need IVs and other tubes that can get infected. In many cases, others in close contact with these patients also harboured the superbugs even though they weren't sick — a risk for further spread.

Some of the sick patients had travelled for surgery or other health care to another country where drug-resistant germs are more common, and the superbug infections were discovered after they returned to the U.S.

Drug industry invites governments to join battle against superbugs
DAY 6An American woman just died from a superbug resistant to 26 different antibiotics
"Essentially, we found nightmare bacteria in your backyard," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"These verge on untreatable infections" where the only option may be supportive care — fluids and sometimes machines to maintain life to give the patient a chance to recover, Schuchat said on Tuesday.

The situation was described in a CDC report.

Bugs and drugs are in a constant battle, as germs evolve to resist new and old antibiotics. About 2 million Americans get infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year and 23,000 die, Schuchat said.

Concern has been growing about a rise in bacteria resistant to all or most antibiotics. Last year, public health labs around the country were asked to watch for and quickly respond to cases of advanced antibiotic resistance, especially to some last-resort antibiotics called carbapenems.

In the first nine months of the year, more than 5,770 samples were tested for these "nightmare bacteria," as CDC calls them, and one quarter were found to have genes that make them hard to treat and easy to share their resistance tricks with other types of bacteria. Of these, 221 had unusual genes that conferred resistance. The cases were scattered throughout 27 states.

"Even in remote areas" this threat is real, because patients often transfer to and from other places for care, said Dr. Jay Butler, chief medical officer for the state of Alaska and past president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Patients with colds get inappropriate antibiotics in nearly half of visits to doctors, study suggests
Antibiotic alternatives: 'We kind of pride ourselves in my research group of doing the crazy stuff'
Others in close contact with the infected patient then were tested, and 11 per cent were found to be carrying the same superbugs even though they were not sick. This gives the bugs more of a chance to spread.