E. coli is the most common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs). But treating those infections is becoming more challenging, because most E.coli strains have become resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics, researchers in India have learned.
According to a recent study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, 73 percent of all E.coli isolates were resistant to Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) -one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for the treatment of UTIs, and more than 80 percent were resistant to ampicillin another commonly prescribed drug.
Researchers Jharna Mandal, N Srinivas Acharya, D Buddhapriya and Subhash Chandra Parija from the Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education & Research, Puducherry studied a total of 19,050 urine samples. Of those, 4,956 cultured positive for infection. E coli caused about 59 percent of those infections. In
UTIs are the second most common type of infection in the US, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Each year, about 8.1 million Americans are diagnosed with a UTI and almost all of then take antibiotics to clear up the infection. Symptoms of a UTI vary depending on age, gender, and whether a catheter is used. For young women, UTI symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, painful, burning sensation during urination and small amounts of urine. Fatigue, shakiness, weakness, muscle aches, abdominal pain and dark, possibly bloody, foul-smelling urine may be present in older women and men.
“Increasing antibiotic resistance trends indicate that it is imperative to rationalize the use of antimicrobials in the community and also use these conservatively,” the research team concluded.
