Researchers have identified a surprising cause of some urinary tract infections: contaminated meat. A four-year study found that nearly 1 in 5 UTIs detected among a group of patients in Southern California were most likely caused by the consumption of chicken, turkey, pork or beef that carried E. coli bacteria.
The common understanding is that most UTIs are caused by improper hygiene or sexual contact. Around 6 million to 8 million cases are recorded in the United States every year, and around 80% are caused by E. coli bacteria. But the strains responsible for the majority of UTIs are not the ones typically associated with foodborne illnesses, which cause diarrhea and vomiting.
The new research, published Thursday in the journal mBio, hints at the prevalence of foodborne UTIs, which were largely unknown to scientists two decades ago. “This is the latest in a long series of studies that have shown that we’re getting some of our urinary tract infections from food,” said Dr. Martin Blaser, a microbiologist at Rutgers University, who was not involved in the research. “A study like this allows people to draw inferences, to understand what’s going on,” he added. “If somebody develops a urinary tract infection, they’re now wondering, ‘Well, was it the hamburger I ate three days ago or five days ago?’” To read the full story.