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Can you get a UTI from turkey? Scientists say it is more common than you might think!
Yes! You read that correctly. A UTI. Urinary tract infection.
You may be wondering what poultry has to do with the urinary tract. With good reason.
A recent study reveals that nearly 1 in 5 urinary tract infections are linked to contaminated meat. The most common being turkey! Even more troubling, the study revealed this phenomenon is more common in high poverty areas and contamination is found at higher rates in value packages of meat.
That’s a lot to unpack, isn’t it?
Here’s what you need to know about how people get a UTI from turkey and how to avoid it this Thanksgiving!
A common bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) is responsible for a wide range of infections. From cystitis (bladder infection) to pyelonephritis (kidney infection) to meningitis (brain/spinal cord infection) and sepsis (blood infection), this bad bug racks up one million worldwide deaths each year!
You see, E. coli bacteria can cause way more than digestive upset. They play a huge role in the 8 million UTIs in the United States each year!
But where do they come from?
That is exactly what researchers from D.C.’s George Washington University wanted to know. I’ve broken down the key aspects of the study that was recently published in mBio, but the research started much sooner. It was built on previous research that uncovered the connection.
These scientists took that knowledge a step further.
Previous research has already made the connection between UTIs and contaminated meat. However, these scientists wanted to dive in a bit deeper.
They wanted to understand the connections between these UTI infections and their origins. Where do they come from? Who is more susceptible? What can we do to reduce these risks.
For all that, like most research studies, they needed data.
For this study, scientists collected a few different types of data.
Some information came from clinical patients. In this case, 2,349 human clinical samples of positive urine cultures in eight Southern California counties.
Other information was from retail meat samples. A total of 3,379 retail meat samples.
Both clinical and retail samples underwent complicated laboratory analysis to reveal their genetic data. They compared this data and found quite a bit of cross-over.
According to the study, more than 2,300 urinary tract infections were linked to E. coli strains found in meat samples from grocery stores.
That is 18%!
A significant finding!
This initial data supports existing claims that there is a strong correlation between UTIs and E. coli infections from food.
But these scientists took it a step further. Which foods are more risky and who is more likely to be impacted by this?
Most people think Salmonella with poultry and E. coli with beef. However, the results broke my preconceived notions.
Turkey, as it turns out, was the most contaminated. Well, turkey and chicken. Pork and beef came up too. But not nearly as often.
Even more troubling was the more specific data that they uncovered within their retail meat samples. The rate of contamination changed based on where the samples were obtained. A notable difference was observed between samples taken from retail meat samples purchased in high-poverty neighborhoods versus those in lower-poverty areas.
The risk of getting a UTI from turkey or chicken increases if purchased in higher-poverty zip codes.
According to the study, “individuals in high-poverty neighborhoods had a 1.6-fold increased risk of zoonotic UTIs compared to those in low-poverty areas.
In fact, there appeared to be a 12% increase in contamination with every 10% absolute increase in regional family poverty rate.
Why is that?
While that is likely to require a different research study entirely, study authors have noted some observations.
For example, Environmental Health professor Lance Price said that in the grocery stores located in poorer neighborhoods, he found chicken packages pumped with saline.
As that liquid seeps out of the package, it can contaminate other foods and surfaces and further spread E. coli bacteria around the home.
Another curious finding was discovered. The larger, low-cost “value packs” were also more likely to have higher E. coli contamination rates. Though it is unclear if this could correlate to specific retail handling or whether it is due to differences in processing practices.
If you are curious about how people get a UTI from turkey, you are not alone. That was a question I had too! When diving into the reason, it honestly surprised me. Though it probably shouldn’t have.
When it comes to UTIs, elderly patients and female patients are disproportionately represented.
That was my first clue.
In these situations, an intestinal E. coli infection migrates from the anus to the urethra and enters there.
Improper wiping and the use of adult diapers can spread those harmful germs from one system (the digestive system) to another (the urinary tract system).
No one likes to be sick. Whether it is from foodborne illness, a UTI, or a UTI caused by foodborne illness. Protecting yourself is key. A few simple steps can mean the difference between a happy holiday and an uncomfortable one.
If I had a nickel for every time I have said that phrase, I would be quite rich. But it is a golden rule for a reason.
Washing your hands can prevent initial foodborne illness and reduce the risk of spreading it to other bodily systems.
Wash you hands before you eat, prepare food for yourself, or prepare food for others. Always wash your hands after you use the restroom, help someone in the restroom, or change a diaper. Wash your hands after handling an animal or touching anything in their habitat.
Women, more so than men (though still very important) benefit from proper directional wiping after using the restroom. Both #1 and #2 activities, if you know what I mean.
Wiping front to back minimizes potential cross contamination between fecal matter and the urethra. Whether you are doing this for yourself or helping someone else in the bathroom, direction matters.
Being mindful of food temperature can also reduce the risk of foodborne illness that could result in a UTI.
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Cook food to an appropriate minimum internal temperature (measured with an instant read food thermometer). Discard food that has been in the danger zone (between 40 °F and 140 °F for more than two hours or one hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).
Food safety practices are important for so many reasons.
Be safe this holiday season. Don’t get a UTI from turkey this Thanksgiving. As we learned in kindergarten, sharing may be caring. But sharing foodborne illness isn’t as well received.
Prepare, cook, serve, and eat food safely this holiday season. Your bladder will thank you!
Happy Thanksgiving from the Make Food Safe Blog!
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Move Over Salmonella, UTI from Turkey Is the Next Big Threat This Thanksgiving!,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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