A novel genetic approach developed by researchers found that foodborne E. coli strains may cause hundreds of thousands of UTIs in the United States each year. At Flagstaff, Arizona, researchers looked for E. coli in store-bought raw chicken, turkey, and pig. They also collected urine and blood E. coli isolates from patients at Northern Arizona Healthcare’s Flagstaff Medical Center who had UTI infections. Researchers were able to distinguish E. coli strains from food animals and people as a result of this.
The meat was found to be responsible for 8% of E. coli urinary tract infections in the Flagstaff area. Using their predictive model, the researchers calculated that foodborne E. coli strains cause between 480,000 and 640,000 urinary tract infections in the United States each year. E. coli has been identified in meat and several vegetables.
“If the food is eaten uncooked (e.g., salads, some vegetables, or not fully cooked- rare hamburger), the E. coli will be ingested, make their way through the stomach and small intestine, and find their way into the colon, where they will set up residence, becoming part of our microflora,” said Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “When a predisposition to a urinary tract infection exists, the now adjacent E. coli enters the bladder and causes the infection.”
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Furthermore, E.coli is the most abundant bacteria in the stomach, making it the most common source of infection connected to UTIs. “Most UTIs are caused by organisms colonizing the GI tract, and because E. coli is the most frequent aerobic organism in the gut flora, it is also the most common pathogen [an organism that causes infection] associated with UTIs.” Dr. Charles Bailey, medical director for infection prevention at Providence Mission Hospital and Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, California, told Healthline, “Anaerobic flora (organisms preferring oxygen-poor environments) is present in much higher numbers than aerobic flora (organisms preferring oxygen-rich environments).”
Preventing UTIs: Beyond Antibiotics and Cranberries
Adequate food preparation is essential, as is thoroughly cleansing your hands and food. “The best ways to avoid this include frequent handwashing, properly washing food cutting surfaces after use, and washing all fruits and vegetables,” Shaffner said. “Ground meats (where the E. coli on the surface of the meat is ground up throughout the patty) should also be cooked well done.”
Anatomy Matters: Why Women are More Prone to UTIs
While E. coli cannot be avoided fully (it is part of the aerobic flora that colonizes our GI tracts), women and girls are more prone than men to get UTIs, according to Bailey. “This is related to anatomy (shorter urethra, which correlates to a shorter distance between perineal tissues colonized with GI/stool bacteria and the bladder),” Bailey explained. Although we cannot modify our anatomy, there are steps we can do to lower our risk of UTIs in general.
Bailey suggested the following:
- Urinate following sexual activity
- Stay hydrated by taking showers instead of baths
- Avoid applying douching, sprays, or powder to the vaginal area
- During potty training, educate young girls on proper wiping technique (front to back)
- Raising your water usage can aid in bacterial reduction.
“One method to avoid E. coli-related UTIs is to increase water intake to flush the germs out,” said Dr. Apurva Pancholy, a urogynecologist at UTHealth Houston’s McGovern Medical School. “D-mannose and methenamine are two dietary supplements and chemicals that help inhibit E. coli from anchoring themselves to the bladder wall.”
Cranberries also include proanthocyanidins (PAC), which have been demonstrated to help inhibit E. coli from adhering to the bladder wall. Pancholy stated that vaginal estrogen cream can be used in concert with probiotics to help regenerate healthy flora.
Source: Medindia
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