A surge in urinary tract infections could be blamed on what’s in your fridge, experts have revealed.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections in the US, striking 15million Americans per year.
And recent reports suggest UTIs have surged more than 60 percent in the last 30 years.
It’s well known that sex, poor hygiene, and having female anatomy raise the risk of bacteria entering the urethra, causing infections.
However, experts are now suggesting common bacteria found in undercooked and contaminated meats could be to blame for as many as half a million UTIs every year.
They warn beef, pork, chicken, and turkey could be contaminated with E coli, which sickens more than 250,000 Americans per year.
And the surge also comes as US meat consumption is on the rise, increasing by nearly 20 percent in the last 50 years.
And while most UTIs are mild and can be treated with a course of antibiotics, they can lead to kidney damage, organ failure, and sepsis if left untreated.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) have surged 60 percent in the last 30 years, with some experts suggesting bacteria in undercooked meat could be to blame
UTIs occur when bacteria enters the urinary tract through the urethra, the tube that filters urine out of the bladder.
Women are most at risk due to having a shorter urethra than men. This means bacteria has less distance to travel to reach the bladder.
Roughly half of US women are expected to have at least one UTI in their lifetime compared to one in 20 men.
Sex can also increase the risk by pushing bacteria toward the urethra.
However, science is beginning to point toward E coli from food as a potential cause.
A 2023 study from George Washington University, for example, analyzed retail samples of chicken, turkey, and pork and then took blood and urine samples from people hospitalized with UTIs.
The team found between 480,000 and 680,000 cases – about eight percent – could be caused by E coli strains found in the meat.
Recent reports also suggest meat consumption is on the rise, which could explain the increase in UTIs.
The latest data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests Americans now eat 40 percent more than the recommended amount of meat, double that of the 1970s.
Dr Lance Price, study author and founder and co-director of the George Washington Antibiotic Resistance Action Center, said at the time of publication: ‘We’re used to the idea that foodborne E. coli can cause outbreaks of diarrhea, but the concept of foodborne E. coli causing urinary tract infections seems strange – that is, until you recognize that raw meat is often riddled with the E. coli strains that cause these infections.
Roisin McHugh, clinical lead at Oxford Online Pharmacy in the UK who was not involved with the study, told Newsweek: ‘Bacteria in ingested meat gets into feces, which, in turn, can get into the urethra after going to the toilet.
‘E coli bacteria is the most common cause of UTI.’
Recent research has suggested E coli found in raw or undercooked meat could be responsible for about half a million UTIs in the US every year
The above graph shows an increase in UTIs and pyelonephritis – a kidney infection caused by untreated UTIs – from 1998 through 2011. The chart shows incidence per 10,000 people by month
E coli is found in animal and human intestines. When animals are slaughtered, that bacteria can contaminate meat products.
While normal cooking typically kills E coli, bacteria from undercooked meat can spread to the gut and urinary tract, leading to infections.
Experts have also warned bacteria like E coli are becoming resistant to common antibiotics, which could be due to farm animals in the US receiving routine antibiotics to protect them from diseases.
Animals often receive these antibiotics even when healthy, which strips the body of weaker bacteria and causes more resistant strains to thrive.
Dr Michelle Van Kuiken, a urologist and urogynecologist at the University of California – San Francisco, told National Geographic: ‘Eating meat that has been heavily treated with antibiotics may be contributing to increasing rates of antibiotic resistance as the human microbiome is being influenced by meat consumption.
‘This does not mean that if you eat meat, you are going to get a UTI, but it could increase the likelihood that you may end up colonized with a multi-drug resistant organism.’
In addition to fully cooking meat, McHugh suggested following proper hygiene practices like wiping from front to back after using the bathroom to keep bacteria from entering the urethra.
She also suggested using the bathroom after sex to flush bacteria out of the urethra.
