Chicago—An experimental vaccine shows promise in preventing recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in susceptible women, according to preliminary findings by researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison.
About 10% to 15% of adult women have recurrent UTIs, which carry a risk of kidney damage and systemic infections. Such women are currently treated with antibiotics, both for acute episodes and for long-term prophylaxis to prevent reinfection.
However, because such a strategy carries its own risks—namely, the emergence of strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, an increased risk of fungal infections, and the development of drug allergies—a protective vaccine to increase an individual's resistance to infection would be a welcome alternative.
Now, results from a small phase 2 study of the new vaccine, presented here at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, suggest that such protection may be feasible. The vaccine consists of six uropathogenic . . . [Full Text of this Article]
