Overview
- The peer-reviewed mBio study analyzed more than 5,700 E. coli isolates from over 2,300 UTIs and more than 3,300 retail meat samples collected in Southern California from 2017 to 2021 using a host-origin genomic model.
- An estimated 18% of UTIs were foodborne, with the highest-risk strains most often detected in chicken and turkey products.
- People living in low-income areas had about a 60% higher risk of foodborne UTIs, and the burden was greater among women and older men.
- Authors urge immediate precautions such as choosing leak-proof packaging, thoroughly cooking meat and poultry, preventing kitchen cross-contamination, and washing hands and surfaces after handling raw meat.
- Researchers emphasize the study’s regional scope and are calling for expanded surveillance, stricter processing controls, and further work to refine the model and assess other infections, including bloodstream cases.