Which bacterium uses enteroadherence as a mechanism of disease in the GI tract?

Which bacterium uses enteroadherence as a mechanism of disease in the GI tract?

• A. Escherichia coli
• B. Salmonella enterica
• C. Vibrio vulnificus
• D. Helicobacter pylori

Answer: (A)

Enteroadherence means sticking tightly to the intestinal lining with specific adhesins, letting the bacteria colonize the gut and interact with host cells. Escherichia coli, especially pathogenic strains like enteropathogenic E. coli, use this strategy to attach directly to enterocytes and form intimate contacts such as attaching-and-effacing lesions. This close adherence disrupts the microvilli and helps deliver effects that cause diarrhea, making adherence to the intestinal surface a central part of their disease process. The other organisms listed rely more on invasion, toxins, or non-intestinal sites of colonization rather than this mucosal adherence pattern. Therefore, Escherichia coli is the bacterium that uses enteroadherence as a mechanism of disease in the GI tract.

Enteroadherence means sticking tightly to the intestinal lining with specific adhesins, letting the bacteria colonize the gut and interact with host cells. Escherichia coli, especially pathogenic strains like enteropathogenic E. coli, use this strategy to attach directly to enterocytes and form intimate contacts such as attaching-and-effacing lesions. This close adherence disrupts the microvilli and helps deliver effects that cause diarrhea, making adherence to the intestinal surface a central part of their disease process. The other organisms listed rely more on invasion, toxins, or non-intestinal sites of colonization rather than this mucosal adherence pattern. Therefore, Escherichia coli is the bacterium that uses enteroadherence as a mechanism of disease in the GI tract.