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Nature Medicine 13, 531–532 (1 May 2007) | doi:10.1038/nm0507-531

Flushing bacteria out of the bladder

Danelle S Eto & Matthew A Mulvey

With over one hundred million infections annually, urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain among the most common infectious diseases worldwide, despite improved hygiene and widespread antibiotic use. Even with antibiotic treatment, UTIs can linger and recur in many individuals, such that 25% of women have recurrent symptoms within six months of an initial acute infection.