Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) infection is a prevalent infectious disease with potentially severe complications. UPEC, the most common etiological agent of community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs), accounts for >80% of UTI infections worldwide. Once inside the urinary tract, UPEC preferentially colonizes the bladder and causes cystitis, but can also ascend through the ureters into the kidneys, causing pyelonephritis.
