Acute urinary tract infection elicits bladder afferent hypersensitivity.

•We explored the neurophysiology underlying painful bladder sensations during UTI.•UTI induces significant bladder afferent hypersensitivity during distension.•Low-threshold afferents elicit exaggerated responses at normal bladder pressures.•Afferent hypersensitivity correlated with the development of bladder dysfunction.•Bladder afferents are key regulators of sensory and behavioural responses to UTI.