**3. Epidemiology and risk factors for** *E. coli* **UTI**

Overall, UTI is more prevalent among females than males, attributable to the close proximity of the urogenital tract to the anus in females, the greater length of the male urethra, and the antibacterial activity of prostatic fluid in men [12, 13]. Functional, hormonal, and anatomical changes that occur during pregnancy predispose pregnant women to UTI [14]. UTI during pregnancy can result in devastating maternal and neonatal complications, including maternal sepsis, preterm labor, and premature delivery [14]. Thirty percent of patients with untreated asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) develop symptomatic cystitis and up to 50% develop pyelonephritis [13]. ASB is also associated with intrauterine growth retardation and low-birth-weight infants [13]. Up to 27% of preterm births have been associated with UTI in pregnancy [14].

Among bacterial infections in children, UTI ranks highly, even outnumbering bacterial meningitis, pneumonia, and bacteremia [15]. About 1% of infants < 3 months old develop UTI, with more males affected than females. Proper and urgent UTI management is crucial in children as an estimated 10–15% of children with UTI will develop permanent kidney damage, leading to other chronic diseases such as hypertension and renal insufficiency [16, 17].

The propensity of UTIs to recur, often within a few weeks or months after an initial acute infection, is a problem in UTI management. Approximately 20–30% of women will have a recurrent bladder infection within 6 months after an initial episode, and an additional 3% will experience a third infection [18, 19].
