Meat consumption causes antibiotic resistance in young people
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect people of all ages. However, according to statistics, infection caused by bacteria affecting the bladder, kidneys or ureters is increasing among young people. According to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, the burden of the disease increased by more than 68 percent between 1990 and 2020.
Even more alarming is that the bacteria that cause UTIs are becoming more resistant to the antibiotics used to treat them, making these infections more dangerous than ever.
What is causing a surge in infection?
The rise in UTI rates can be attributed to several factors, including a growing population, particularly an older population that is more susceptible to UTIs, and a sexually active younger age group.
However, according to Cindy Liu, medical director of the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, most antibiotic resistance is due to excessive meat consumption.
“If we don’t change the way we use antibiotics, we are headed toward fewer options for treating bladder infections, kidney infections, and urosepsis,” Liu told National Geographic in an interview. “Some of this resistance can be attributed to meat consumption, as animals treated with antibiotics breed antibiotic resistance in the populations that eat them,” he added.
Another expert said that most meat today is already treated with antibiotics, contributing to resistance.
“Eating meat that has been treated with antibiotics may contribute to increased rates of antibiotic resistance, as the human microbiome is affected by meat consumption. This does not mean that if you eat meat you will suffer from a urinary tract infection, but it could increase the likelihood that you will end up colonized by a multidrug-resistant organism,” added Michelle Van Kuiken, urologist and urogynecologist at the University of California in San Francisco, in the same program.
Michelle said meat also introduces bacteria that cause UTIs, specifically E. coli, into the body.
Studies indicate that the most common way to get an E. coli infection is by eating contaminated food, such as ground beef. When livestock is slaughtered and processed, E. coli bacteria from their intestines can get into the meat. Ground beef combines meat from many different animals, which increases the risk of contamination.
According to research, between 30 and 70 percent of meat products are contaminated with bacteria, which are also spread by drinking unpasteurized beverages such as milk, cider or juice, drinking contaminated water ortouching excrement or contaminated surfaces.
Another study estimates that contaminated meat, especially raw chicken and turkey, causes about half a million UTIs in the U.S. each year.
How does E. coli cause a UTI?
E. coli, which lives in the gut, travels through the intestines and reaches the urinary tract, causing an infection with symptoms such as:
- Abdominal or pelvic pain
- Pain or burning sensation when urinating
- An urgent need to urinate frequently
- Cloudy and smelly urine
- High fever
To mitigate the rise of antibiotic-resistant E. coli, researchers recommend that meat producers vaccinate animals against the most dangerous strains to prevent the bacteria from entering the food chain and avoid overuse of antibiotics.
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