Overview
- The peer-reviewed study, published in mBio on October 23, estimates about 18% of community UTIs in the study population were caused by animal‑origin E. coli linked to retail meat.
- Poultry posed the greatest risk, with turkey showing the highest contamination and chicken also prominent, exceeding rates seen in beef and pork.
- Residents of low-income neighborhoods faced a 60% higher risk of foodborne UTIs, with the estimated share reaching 21.5% in those areas.
- Women had a higher proportion of foodborne UTIs than men (about 20% versus 8.5%), and older adults—particularly older men—were notably vulnerable.
- Researchers compared thousands of clinical and meat isolates collected across eight Southern California counties from 2017 to 2021, and they urge stricter food‑safety practices at home alongside broader surveillance and supply‑chain controls, noting results may not fully generalize beyond the region.