Dormant bacteria may spawn infection
Bacterial infections that seem to be cured can flare up again months or years later. Dormant bacteria may be to blame, according to a new laboratory study. Hadley Hartwell and Todd R. Steck of the University of North Carolina in Charlotte have been investigating the effect of antibiotics on Escherichia coli, a frequent cause of urinary tract infections.
Up to 50 percent of all women contract urinary tract infections, says Hartwell. E. coli is the most common pathogen associated with these infections. Symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate and burning or pain during urination. Even after antibiotic treatment, a third of these infections recur.