UPDATE: |Symptoms of common infection that UKHSA warns can ‘turn fatal’ if untreated News

Health officials have urged people to look out for the “early warning signs” of the infection

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning to not ignore symptoms of a common infection that can cause serious health complications if left untreated.

The health agency warns that urinary tract infections, or UTIs, can “prove fatal in extreme instances” if the infection spreads.

UTIs affect the urinary tract, which include the bladder, urethra and kidneys. They are more common in women and are typically manageable with medicines or antibiotics.

However, if left untreated, UTIs can escalate to sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection where the immune system mistakenly starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.

The UKHSA wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Left untreated, #UTIs can escalate into serious bloodstream infections, adding to our antibiotic resistance threat.

“These infections could potentially develop into #sepsis, and prove fatal in extreme instances.

“Recognise the early warning signs.”

Sepsis requires antibiotic treatment in the hospital straight away. Without treatment, it can turn into septic shock and cause your organs to fail, which can be fatal.

The UKHSA warns that this could fuel antibiotic resistance, as the bacteria may evolve so that common life-saving antibiotics no longer work. Health bosses warn that antibiotic resistance is becoming one of the “UK’s biggest health risks” and could send us back to a “pre-antibiotic era” where routine surgeries come with a serious risk of infection.

The health agency has therefore urged people to look out for the early signs of a UTI to help manage the infection before it spreads.

According to the NHS, women are more prone to UTIs because they have a shorter urethra than men, making bacteria more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys. Older adults are also at a higher risk of UTIs, with NHS data showing the majority of hospital admissions involving UTIs were in patients aged 65 and older.

The NHS warns common things that increase the risk of bacteria getting into the urinary tract include having sex, pregnancy, conditions such as kidney stones or an enlarged prostate in men, and not drinking enough fluids.

According to the NHS, symptoms of a UTI may include:

• Pain or a burning sensation when peeing
• Needing to pee more often than usual during the day and night
• Needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
• Pee that looks cloudy
• Blood in your pee
• Lower tummy pain or pain in your back, just under the ribs
• A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
• A very low temperature below 36C

To ease UTI symptoms, the NHS recommends taking paracetamol, drinking lots of fluids and getting rest, and avoiding having sex. Cystitis sachets or cranberry drinks may also help to prevent UTIs from happening. A pharmacist or GP can also offer help with treatments.