A urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when bacteria (germs) get into the urinary tract and multiply. These germs usually enter the urinary tract through the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body, and travel up to the bladder. The result is redness, swelling and pain in the urinary tract.

Who is at high risk for developing urinary tract infection?

• Females get UTIs much more often than males, possibly because they have a shorter urethra, which may make it easier for bacteria to reach the bladder.
• People with diabetes experience changes in their body’s defense system that may make it easier for them to get UTIs.
• People with a kidney stone or an enlarged prostate gland may have their urine flow blocked, which can cause a UTI. Men who get UTIs often have an enlarged prostate gland.
• Infants who are born with an abnormality of their urinary tract.