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2martens
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Millions of women in the U.S suffer from painful urinary tract infections every year. Now scientists think they may be caused by an unusual culprit - chickens. Researchers have long suspected that the infections are caused by a person's own E. coli bacteria.
The data suggested the infections came directly from the birds rather than from human contamination during food processing. What is more, the scientists suggested that modern farming methods could be making the situation worse. 'We are concerned about the selection and amplification of drug-resistant E. coli on the farms because of improper or overuse of antimicrobials during food animal production,' Mr Manges said.
Proper kitchen handling and cooking of chicken helps kill the germs and so reduces the chances of catching an E. coli infection. Up to eight million people develop a urinary tract infection every year in the U.S with women being 50 times more likely to catch a UTI than men. Symptoms can include a burning sensation when urinating, a need to visit the toilet often and pain in the lower abdomen. If it hasn't cleared up on its own after a few days, sufferers should visit their doctor for a course of antibiotics.
