Urinary tract infection (UTI) is defined as the presence of microbial pathogens
in the urinary tract with associated symptoms. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are
common, affect men and women of all ages, and vary dramatically in their
presentation and sequelae. They are a common cause of morbidity and can lead
to significant mortality. UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections
seen in primary care, second only to infections of the respiratory tract (Pushpalatha
2008). They represent the most common bacterial infection in pregnant and
non-pregnant women (Foxman 2002, 2003). Eight million women visit a physician
annually for evaluation of UTIs (Schappert 1996) at a direct cost of $659 million
(Rosenberg 1999), and aggregate cost of $1.6 billion (Rosenberg 1999; Foxman
et al. 2000).