BIOTIA-ID, the next generation of urinary tract infection diagnostics
Current infectious disease detection technology has a high failure rate and limited utility. Culturing is slow, labor intensive, misses many species, and requires multiple tests to characterize pathogens and drug resistance. BIOTIA-ID Urine NGS Assay utilizes current technologies to enable accurate pathogen identification and improve patient health outcomes.
What is a UTI?
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of the urinary system. The urinary system includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra.
UTIs don't always cause symptoms. When they do, they may include:
- A strong urge to urinate that doesn't go away
- A burning feeling when urinating
- Urinating often, and passing small amounts of urine
- Urine that looks cloudy
- Urine that appears red, bright pink or cola-colored — signs of blood in the urine
- Strong-smelling urine
- Pelvic pain, in women — especially in the center of the pelvis and around the area of the pubic bone
Who is at risk?
Some people are at higher risk of getting a UTI. UTIs are more common in women. Many women experience more than one UTI during their lifetimes.
Factors that can increase the risk of UTIs:
- A previous UTI.
- Age (older adults and young children are more likely to get UTIs).
- Structural problems in the urinary tract.
- Co-morbidities including chronic kidney disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and other immunocompromised states.
Risk factors for UTIs that are specific to women include:
- Female anatomy. Women have a shorter urethra than men do. As a result, there is less distance for bacteria to travel to reach the bladder.
- Sexual activity. Being sexually active tends to lead to more UTIs. Having a new sexual partner also increases risk.
- Certain types of birth control. Using diaphragms for birth control may increase the risk of UTIs. Using spermicidal agents also can increase risk.
- Pregnancy.
- Menopause. After menopause, a decline in circulating estrogen causes changes in the urinary tract. The changes can increase the risk of UTIs.
Why detection is important and informs treatment:
Proper detection of the disease causing organism is key for a successful treatment plan. Different classes of microbes call for different treatment plans.
For example: you would not treat a Candida (yeast) infection with an antibiotic- your symptoms would not improve as this treatment was meant to get rid of bacterial infections.
Additionally, many organisms can contain antibiotic resistance factors, which means specific classes of antibiotics may not be appropriate for your infection, as you would continue to have symptoms since the antibiotic cannot kill your particular disease causing pathogen.
A better diagnostic solution
Currently, the gold standard for diagnosis of UTIs is culture, a problematic approach for complicated cases. With this ‘gold standard’ 30% of UTIs go undiagnosed.
At Biotia we believe you deserve a better diagnostic solution that reduces the rate false negatives and allows for better, more specific detection and identification of your disease causing pathogen.
Its time to upgrade your healthcare to a more rapid, reliant, comprehensive, and sensitive solution.
How can I
order a test?
At Biotia, we only accept clinical tests ordered by a doctor on your behalf. As diagnostic testing and test results are complex, we want to ensure that you have access to full support to help you make informed decisions about diagnostic testing and your future healthcare.
