Undercooked meat may be responsible for hundreds of thousands of urinary tract infections (UTIs) each year, scientists warn.
Previous studies have shown that E. coli causes up to 90 percent of all urinary tract infections.
But researchers found that about 8 percent came from it E. coli strains that live in raw meat such as chicken, turkey and pork.
These bacteria can live in the intestines before entering the urinary tract and causing painful symptoms such as side or back pain, tremors and chills.
E. coli causes about 6 to 8 million UTIs in the United States each year.
E. coli bacteria can live in the intestines before entering the urinary tract and causing painful symptoms such as side or back pain and chills and chills. E. coli causes about 6 to 8 million UTIs in the United States each year
Researchers at George Washington University found that about 8 percent of all UTIs in the United States come from strains of E. coli, which lurk in raw meats like chicken, turkey and pork
In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that urinary tract infections result in 7 million GP consultations per year. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), E. coli is “the most common cause.”
George Washington University researchers collected blood and urine samples from E. coli infections at local hospitals in a city in Arizona.
They then compared it to foodborne zoonotic strains of E. coli found in brands of raw chicken, turkey and pork available at nine major supermarket chains.
The meat was chosen because it was found to likely contain E. coli, which causes urinary tract infections.
In the journal One Health, researchers wrote that “about 8 percent of clinical E. coli isolates in our population were foodborne zoonotic strains.”
Read more: Help for 1.7 million Britons suffering from antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections after scientists develop new treatments
The scientists said vaccinating animals against the most dangerous strains of E. coli could be a way to prevent the bacteria from entering the food supply.
“The accurate identification of strains involved in recent animal-to-human transmission is critical for the development of targeted intervention strategies in livestock populations,” added the researchers.
Lance Price, professor of environmental and occupational medicine at George Washington University, added: “On an individual level, I would say that anyone who is already susceptible to UTIs should take extra care when handling raw meat, especially poultry.
“If people handle raw meat products and don’t wash enough – which can be difficult – the E.coli can go straight into the urogenital tract.”
He added: “Our study provides compelling evidence that dangerous strains make their way from food animals through the food supply to humans and make people sick – sometimes really sick.”
However, the scientists also acknowledged several limitations of the study, including its reliance on a single site.
“Therefore, the generalizability of the results is unknown,” they said.
The percentage of meat E. coli, which causes UTIs, was also assessed without considering beef, so the number of FZEC cases may have been underreported, limiting the results.
The experts also did not consider “domestic species isolates,” including cats and dogs, preventing them from evaluating their potential role in the transmission of E. coli strains.
Bacterial strains are mostly found in the intestines of humans and animals and are mostly harmless.
However, when certain stresses end up in vulnerable parts of the body such as the urinary tract – a collective term for the bladder, kidneys and connected tubes – it can lead to debilitating and often dangerous infections.
Antibiotics are the most common treatment, followed by drinking plenty of water to flush bacteria from the body.
But some UTIs can also lead to more serious kidney infections; Symptoms include fever, chills, back pain, nausea or vomiting, and life-threatening blood infections.
Every year more than a million Britons – 80 per cent of them women – develop a urinary tract infection and experience extreme burning when they urinate.
Older people are more at risk because the bladder functions less well with age and may not empty completely, leaving bacteria in the urinary tract.
Studies show that one in ten women over 65 have had a urinary tract infection in the past year.
For women over 85, this number rises to almost three in ten. In older patients, the infections can lead to delirium.
They can also lead to sepsis, which results in approximately 10,000 deaths each year.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
