A new study estimates that nearly one in five urinary tract infections in Southern California may be caused by E. coli strains transmitted through contaminated meat—and pose a hidden foodborne risk to millions of people not just in California but across the US.
  • cheeseburger@piefed.caEnglish
    45·
    4 months ago

    In case anyone’s wondering, this is for USA; study done in California.

    Key findings:

    • 18% of UTIs in the study population were linked to E. coli strains of animal origin, which are known as foodborne UTIs.
    • The highest-risk strains were most often found in chicken and turkey.
    • People living in low-income areas had a 60% higher risk of foodborne UTIs compared to those in wealthier neighborhoods.
    • Women and older men were especially vulnerable.
  • rumschlumpel@feddit.orgEnglish
    434·
    4 months ago

    Bet the Republicans are going to change the law to increase the risk of this. They love spreading diseases.

    • FenderStratocaster@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1129·
      4 months ago

      I wish we could have a community for science and not political bashing. Like, I get it, but it would be nice if you actually contributed to the conversation.

      • rumschlumpel@feddit.orgEnglish
        233·
        4 months ago

        Where’s your constructive contribution to the conversation? Be the change you want to see.

        Anyway, this is a matter of US policy and thus it makes sense to discuss the issues of US policy. Republicans making laws that increase the likelihood of diseases is a fact.

      • limer@lemmy.mlEnglish
        19·
        4 months ago

        I understand your point. And you are correct. But, there some wiggle room here because this is a regional problem only, in only a few countries, and that is caused by lax laws for food handling and preparation.

      • Nikkii@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        182·
        4 months ago

        That the Republicans are actively dismantling the infrastructure and extorting the funding for science and driving a brain drain to other nations means I agree with the other person.

  • AA5B@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    4 months ago

    Very few serious replies here, so I’ll try one …

    I wonder if wearing gloves during food prep is the answer.

    Stay with me here

    • most infections are caused by by basic hygiene, scratching your hoo haw with hands that have touched other things, including other parts of your body.
    • you touch raw meat as part of food prep (and women do most of the cooking)
    • it’s well known and adopted that you need to wash your hands after touching raw meat, which ought to help prevent
    • fingernails. Slime from raw meat also gets under your fingernails and most of us do not wash that well.

    We have a series of observations leading to germs under fingernails after handling uncooked food as a possible disease vector. If it is a significant vector, how do you prevent it? I doubt people will start washing hands to that level of detail, but you already have a lot of cooks wearing latex gloves during food prep which should prevent it in the first place

    • philpo@feddit.orgEnglish
      6·
      4 months ago

      Sadly it won’t help much if at all (that is why they are not required in professional kitchens per se)- people still touch things they should not and then touch these things ungloved.

      There sadly are various studies proving this.

      • otter@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        31·
        4 months ago

        In fact, while gloved, they touch more things they shouldn’t and then some with fewer hand washings overall, so… Win. 🤢🫡