Chicken Linked to UTIs

A new study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Center for Disease Control’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal suggests that contaminated chicken may be a primary source of urinary tract infections. Researchers at McGill University in Canada found that bacteria from chicken closely resemble human urinary tract infection bacteria—typically a strain of E. Coli—unlike bacteria from beef and pork, which is less likely to be genetically related. In order to curb the risk of urinary tract infections and other foodborne illnesses, the scientists recommend that chicken farms implement stricter anti-contamination policies, particularly considering the rise of drug-resistant infections.