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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be painful and sometimes frequent, especially for women and seniors.
UTIs can occur with the introduction of bacteria, like E. coli, into the system, which can be caused by poor hygiene, sexual activity, inability to empty the bladder fully and other factors, according to experts.
New research from The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and Kaiser Permanente Southern California has estimated that nearly one in five UTIs in Southern California stem from contaminated meat with strains of E. coli.
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The researchers proposed that this poses a "hidden foodborne risk to millions of people" across the U.S., as noted in a press release.
In the study, which was published in ASM Journals, researchers collected more than 5,700 individual E. coli samples from patients with UTIs, as well as retail meat samples in the same neighborhoods.
A genomic modeling approach was used to estimate whether each bacterial strain originated in humans or animals.
It was determined that 18% of UTIs were linked to E. coli strains of animal origin, known as foodborne UTIs. The highest-risk strains were most often found in chicken and turkey.
Residents living in low-income neighborhoods had a 60% higher risk of foodborne UTIs in comparison to those in wealthier areas. Women and the elderly were impacted the most.
More investigation is needed to "distinguish foodborne transmission from other possible exposures" and to research other areas and infection types, according to the researchers.
Bloodstream infections were not tested in this study, which is important in monitoring how UTIs progress to more dangerous infections, like sepsis.
Lance B. Price, senior author of the study and professor of environmental and occupational health at The George Washington University, commented in a statement that UTIs have "long been considered a personal health issue."
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"But our findings suggest that they are also a food safety problem," he went on. "This opens up new avenues for prevention, especially for vulnerable communities that bear a disproportionate burden."
Price suggested that this problem occurs across the U.S., despite this first study being conducted in Southern California.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, the professor added that the rate of UTIs in this region was more than twice what had been detected in a previous study in Arizona.
"This is just one example of dangerous pathogens spreading to people through the food supply," he said.
"They should also demand that food safety be a national priority - it's impossible to make Americans healthy while making them sick with foodborne pathogens," he said.
The George Washington researchers plan to explore interventions that could reduce the risk of foodborne infections.
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Meanwhile, to prevent sickness, Price recommends that people always assume that raw meat and poultry are contaminated with bacteria and to take precautions in the kitchen.
Safe practices include buying meat and poultry that is securely sealed, which can prevent leakage onto other groceries.
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All meat and poultry should be thoroughly cooked, experts advise, and cross-contamination in the kitchen should be avoided. Hands and surfaces should be washed after preparing raw meat.
Fox News Digital reached out to various U.S. meat associations for comment, including the National Chicken Council (NCC) and National Turkey Federation (NTF).
