Meat-derived E. coli linked to about 18% of Southern California UTIs

Researchers say that nearly one in five urinary tract infections diagnosed in a Southern California patient group were likely caused by Escherichia coli strains traced back to retail meat, according to a study published Thursday in the journal mBio. The multiyear analysis matched genetic signatures from thousands of E. coli samples collected from patients and from chicken, turkey, pork and beef sold in stores across the region between 2017 and 2021.

Investigators from George Washington University and Kaiser Permanente Southern California used genomic sequencing and a set of animal-specific genetic markers to compare bacteria found in urine cultures with those recovered from retail meat. The team determined that roughly 18 percent of the infections in the sample had genetic profiles consistent with animal origins. Contamination was most common in poultry samples, and the researchers reported higher rates associated with value-pack products and packages that appeared bloated or leaky.

The study also identified disparities in who experienced foodborne urinary tract infections. Women accounted for the large majority of cases overall, and residents of lower-income neighborhoods had...