Health
Urinary infections tied to contaminated food
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 24, 2005
A multistate outbreak of urinary tract infections caused by drug-resistant Escherichia coli was probably due to consumption of contaminated food, perhaps meat or milk, concluded a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Urinary tract infections are one of the most common infections in women but are not generally considered food-related, said lead researcher Lee W. Riley, MD, professor in the division of public health, biology and epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley. Sensible food preparation can help avert a host of health problems, such as diarrhea, cramping and fever; apparently UTIs should now be added to the list.
Between October 1999 and January 2000, a single strain of E. coli was determined to be responsible for drug-resistant urinary infections in university communities in California, Michigan and Minnesota.
Bacterial drug resistance due to unnecessary antibiotic use is a growing problem in health care, according to many experts.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/01/24/hlbf0124.htm.
