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Patients suffering from persistent bladder infections could soon receive a vaccine that will banish this painful condition.
Research has found that the treatment can prevent urinary tract infections (UTI) for up to nine years in more than half of patients.
Up to 1.7 million Britons, the majority of whom are women, suffer from recurrent UTIs (classified as three or more infections a year). Symptoms include burning pain when going to the bathroom, going to the bathroom more frequently than usual, and feeling like you still need to go to the bathroom when the bladder is empty.
In older patients, the infection can cause a dementia-like condition called delirium. There is also the risk of sepsis, which causes around 50,000 deaths each year in the UK.
Research has found that the treatment can prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) for up to nine years (file image)
The vaccine is administered as a pineapple-flavored oral spray and could even be an alternative to antibiotics (file image)
Known as MV140, the vaccine, which is administered as a pineapple-flavored oral spray, could even be an alternative to antibiotics, which have historically been the only way to fight infections.
While several antibiotics are used to treat urinary tract infections, these medications have become less effective over time. This is because bacteria can develop resistance to them.
The study, conducted at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, followed 89 participants with recurrent urinary tract infections who received MV140 nine years ago. A GP sprayed it under the tongue every day for three months.
The vaccine contains four types of inactivated bacteria (meaning they cannot infect the body), including E. Coli, the most common cause of UTIs.
The findings, presented this weekend at the European Association of Urology Congress in Paris, reveal that 54 percent of participants have not had a UTI since receiving the vaccine.
On average, patients went four and a half years without getting an infection.
Researchers say those who developed a UTI tended to suffer only minor symptoms.
Bob Yang, consultant urologist at the Trust, said: “Many of those who suffered a UTI told us that simply drinking plenty of water was enough to treat it.”
“(The vaccine) could be a game-changer for the prevention of urinary tract infections if widely offered, reducing the need for antibiotic treatments.”