A 23-year-old who just returned from a 2-week missionary trip to rural Haiti presents with a 2-day history of watery diarrhea. What is most likely causing his problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

No mention of high fever or vomiting is included in the case, so the disease is most likely "traveler's diarrhea," commonly caused by enterotoxic E. coli. ETEC produces two exotoxins (LT and ST), both acting on the intestine, so they can also be called enterotoxins. It is common that when bacteria invade the gastrointestinal tract tissue, inflammation and prostaglandins are triggered, causing higher fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Choice D is type I Shigella dysenteriae, which is both invasive and produces the Shiga toxin.

A 23-Year-Old Who Just Returned from a 2-Week Missionary Trip