WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study published in the journal mBio found that nearly one in five urinary tract infections (UTIs) might come from E. coli bacteria found in meat.
During the study, researchers analyzed over 5,700 samples collected in Southern California between 2017 and 2021, including bacteria from more than 2,300 UTI patients and 3,379 grocery store meat samples from the same neighborhoods.
The study estimated that 18 percent of infections came from E. coli strains linked to food-producing animals. Most patients were women around age 50, and they were more than twice as likely as men to have UTIs caused by bacteria from meat (about 20 percent in women compared to 8.5 percent in men).
The researchers explained that bacteria is most likely to spread when people touch raw or undercooked meat and then transfer it from the gut to the urinary tract through poor hygiene or improper wiping.
Among the meats tested, turkey showed the highest contamination, followed by chicken, pork, and beef. Notably, the most dangerous bacterial strains were often found in chicken and turkey.
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