A new study estimates that nearly one in five urinary tract infections in Southern California may be caused by E. coli strains transmitted through contaminated meat – and pose a hidden foodborne risk to millions of people not just in California but across the US. The research, published in mBio, also found that people living in low-income neighborhoods are at the greatest risk.
“Urinary tract infections have long been considered a personal health issue, but our findings suggest that they are also a food safety problem,” said Lance B. Price, senior author of the study and professor of environmental and occupational health at the George Washington University.