Urinary Tract Infections Attributable to Zoonotic E coli Strains
About 18% of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are attributable to zoonotic extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) strains.
According to a study, researchers estimated the proportion of UTIs attributable to zoonotic ExPEC across eight Southern California counties.
- Coli isolates were collected from retail meat and 23,483 from patients with UTI.
- Sequencing a representative subset of 5,728 isolates was used to infer the host origin of each isolate.
The host origin of each isolate was inferred using a Bayesian latent class model trained with 17 host-associated genetic markers.
The researchers found that overall, zoonotic ExPEC strains accounted for 18 percent of UTIs, increasing to 21.5 percent in high-poverty neighborhoods.
The zoonotic proportion was higher among women than men (19%).
Author's summary: Study finds 18% of UTIs caused by zoonotic E coli strains.