Meat-Borne Bacteria Linked to Half a Million UTIs in US: Study Warns of Rising Death Rates

A new study has highlighted a link between meat consumption and urinary tract infections (UTIs). According to the study, meat-borne bacteria are the likely cause of over half a million UTIs in the US every year. The study found that E. coli bacteria cause between 6-8 million UTIs in the US every year, and between 480,000 and 640,000 could be linked to strains known as food-borne zoonotic E. coli (FZECs). The bacteria strains are generally found in livestock, regardless of whether they are found on plant or meat products.

Women are more likely to suffer from UTIs than men, with the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy estimating that around half of all women in the UK will have at least one UTI in their lifetime. However, UTIs are often considered to be a painful annoyance and nothing more. But the study has found that UTIs can cause much greater risks. The bladder can act as a gateway to the bloodstream for E. coli, via the kidneys, causing much greater risks. In the US, E. coli bloodstream infections kill between 36,000 and 40,000 people every year. In the UK, UTIs are described as the “leading source of bacterial bloodstream infections” and a “chronically neglected area of infectious diseases” by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Reducing UTIs caused by meat-borne E. coli strains can help reduce those deaths. Lance Price, one of the study’s authors and a professor specializing in antibiotic resistance at the George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington DC, warns that as E. coli, already resistant to some antibiotic treatments, became resistant to more antibiotics, the number of people dying from bloodstream infections could rise.

In the US town of Flagstaff, Arizona, Price, and his team spent a year matching the UTI-causing E. coli found in patients attending the local hospital to that of E. coli found in turkey, chicken, and pork products sold in the area. The meats were chosen because they had been identified as most likely to carry the E. coli that causes UTIs.

The Flagstaff study showed that 8 percent of the UTIs were caused by E. coli from local meat samples. That, said Price, translates into a national figure in the US of 480,000 to 640,000 UTIs caused by E. coli originating from those meats. The strains spread between the animals would also have the opportunity “to develop new characteristics that could cause worse disease and be more resistant to antibiotics”.

One solution proposed by Price and his team is inoculating animals against the most dangerous strains of E. coli to prevent the bacteria from entering the food chain in the first place. For poultry, the vaccination could be at the egg stage. Other routes would be limiting contact with meat products and also following existing public health food preparation guidelines. They recommend workers wash their hands frequently and use different knives and chopping boards for meat products and for fruit and vegetables.

Although Price and his team found that some of the meat-borne UTI-causing E. coli were resistant to antibiotic treatment, he said this was not a significant discovery as many E. coli are already known to be antibiotic resistant in the US. However, in other countries, that might be different. Price said his next goal is to use the team’s methodology to look at antibiotic resistance to meat-borne E. coli in other countries. Another study is already underway to examine the presence of UTI-causing E. coli in beef.

The study highlights the importance of being mindful of our food choices and understanding the impact they can have on our health. Consumers should be aware of the risks associated with consuming meat products and take steps to limit their contact with them. Following public health food preparation guidelines, such as washing hands frequently and using separate knives and chopping boards for meat and vegetables, can help prevent the spread of bacteria. Furthermore, the use of vaccines for animals to prevent the spread of dangerous strains of E. coli can help reduce the number of UTIs caused by meat-borne bacteria. By taking these steps, individuals can protect their health and contribute to reducing the number of deaths caused by E. coli infections.

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