Scientists point to a surprising cause of certain urinary tract infections: the bacteria E.coli present in meat.
A new study used statistical modeling to assess whether the bacterium E.colia known source of many food-borne illnesses, could be the cause of hundreds of thousands of UTIs in the United States each year – believed to be a small fraction of UTI cases, but significant enough to intrigue and, in some cases, worry the experts.
The new study looked at chicken, turkey and pork in particular, as previous studies suggested these foods may be contaminated with strains ofE.coli likely to cause a urinary tract infection.
For twenty years, scientists have wondered if food is a potential source of infections; the new study goes to show how prevalent food-borne UTIs are.
A UTI occurs when bacteria enter the urethra and infect the urinary tract. Sometimes an infection develops due to poor hygiene (such as not wiping properly) or having sex, and some people are more prone than others to developing an infection because of their anatomy or their genetic heritage.
UTIs can be pernicious and painful. People who have it may experience symptoms such as discomfort when urinating or a frequent need to urinate; they may experience cramping, fatigue, or a stinging sensation during intercourse. According to the DD Monica Woll Rosen, obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Michigan Medical School, some people may experience “urinary hesitation,” which is an urge to urinate that does not produce a ‘urine. Urinary tract infections affect both men and women, but are more common in women because their urethra is shorter.
Symptoms of a UTI are likely the same regardless of the source of the infection, says Dr.D Monica Woll Rosen. Although the vast majority of UTIs are mild and treatable, in rare cases UTIs can be serious or even fatal, which is why researchers are so determined to find out what causes them.
where is hiding E.coli ?
How can food cause a UTI?
A foodborne UTI starts the same way as most UTIs: whenE.coli present in the intestine migrates from the anus to the urethra, explains the Dr Lance Price, professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University and one of the authors of the new study.
Most of us carry bacteria E.coli in their intestines, explains the Dr James Johnson, professor of infectious diseases and lead researcher in urinary tract infections at the University of Minnesota, and one of the study’s authors.
E.coli can contaminate food, but humans and animals can also carry the bacteria and pass it on to each other. Most of the time, this bacteria does not bother us; only specific strains ofE.coli have the ability to colonize the urinary tract and cause urinary tract infections.
“As long as they stay in their place in the intestine, everyone is happy,” explains Dr.r Johnson. It’s only when they mess up and go where they shouldn’t be that trouble can arise. »
PHOTO CAITLIN O’HARA, NEW YORK TIMES ARCHIVES
Contaminated romaine lettuce from one area in Arizona, for example, has been linked to dozens of infections. E.coli in the United States, in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other foods, including plants, are likely to harbor a strain ofE.coli responsible for urinary infections, but these strains seem to be more often present in meats than in other foods, said the Dr Price.
Precaution
There is no way to determine the source of a UTI based on symptoms, although the likelihood of being infected from a non-food source ofE.coli is far greater than that of being by a dietary source, said the Dr Johnson. Other bacteria can also cause urinary tract infections.
How to reduce the risk of food-borne urinary tract infection?
The results of this study don’t mean you should immediately change your eating habits, says Dr.D Michelle Van Kuiken, urologist at the University of California, San Francisco. “There is no one-to-one correlation” between meat consumption and UTIs, she says, adding that she sees many patients with recurrent UTIs who are vegetarians or vegans. But further research could shed light on how diet may affect infection risk.
Recent findings should remind people to take extra care when cooking meat, says Dr.r Spear Price.
This means careful handling not only of the raw meat itself, but also of the packaging, especially the potentially bacteria-laden juices in a container with raw chicken, for example.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends taking basic steps to prepare food safely and prevent potential exposure to E.coliincluding washing hands before, during and after cooking, using separate cutting boards for raw meats and other foods such as fruits and vegetables, ensuring that meats are cooked appropriate temperature and refrigerate food properly.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive to associate kitchen hygiene with the prevention of urinary tract infections, Dr.r Johnson explains that the new research on the strains ofE.coli foodborne infections show that these measures can potentially prevent infections, as can urinating after sex, drinking fluids, and toweling properly.
“Most people don’t really understand how UTIs happen,” he said. “They’re coming, that’s all. »
This article was originally published in the New York Times.