Which bacterium causes shigellosis with symptoms occurring 1 day to a week after infection and dehydration?

Which bacterium causes shigellosis with symptoms occurring 1 day to a week after infection and dehydration?

• A. Shigella
• B. Staphylococcus aureus
• C. Escherichia coli
• D. Vibrio vulnificus

Answer: (A)

Shigella causes shigellosis, an infection you typically acquire by ingesting contaminated food or water. It has a very low infectious dose, so symptoms can begin relatively soon after exposure—often within one day, up to about a week. The hallmark is inflammatory diarrhea that frequently contains blood and mucus, along with abdominal cramps and fever. Dehydration stems from the substantial fluid loss in the diarrhea. The bacteria invade the lining of the colon, triggering inflammation and mucosal damage that leads to these symptoms. This combination of a short to moderate incubation period and dehydration from diarrhea best fits Shigella. The other organisms listed tend to produce illness with different onset times or clinical features, such as rapid, toxin-mediated vomiting for Staphylococcus aureus or gastroenteritis patterns more typical of other E. coli strains or Vibrio species.

Shigella causes shigellosis, an infection you typically acquire by ingesting contaminated food or water. It has a very low infectious dose, so symptoms can begin relatively soon after exposure—often within one day, up to about a week. The hallmark is inflammatory diarrhea that frequently contains blood and mucus, along with abdominal cramps and fever. Dehydration stems from the substantial fluid loss in the diarrhea. The bacteria invade the lining of the colon, triggering inflammation and mucosal damage that leads to these symptoms. This combination of a short to moderate incubation period and dehydration from diarrhea best fits Shigella. The other organisms listed tend to produce illness with different onset times or clinical features, such as rapid, toxin-mediated vomiting for Staphylococcus aureus or gastroenteritis patterns more typical of other E. coli strains or Vibrio species.