Which description matches EAEC clinical disease in livestock?

Which description matches EAEC clinical disease in livestock?

• A. Bloody diarrhea in weaned pigs and calves.
• B. Watery diarrhea in weaned pigs and calves that is not bloody.
• C. Severe dehydration with fever.
• D. No diarrhea in growing animals.

Answer: (B)

Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) typically causes a non-bloody, watery diarrhea in young livestock. The organism adheres to the intestinal mucosa in a stacked-brick, aggregative pattern, forming a biofilm and producing toxins that disrupt absorption and secretion. In weaned pigs and calves, this results in persistent, watery stools rather than bloody stools. This contrasts with invasive or inflammatory pathogens that produce blood in the feces. So the description of watery diarrhea in weaned pigs and calves that is not bloody best matches EAEC clinical disease.

Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) typically causes a non-bloody, watery diarrhea in young livestock. The organism adheres to the intestinal mucosa in a stacked-brick, aggregative pattern, forming a biofilm and producing toxins that disrupt absorption and secretion. In weaned pigs and calves, this results in persistent, watery stools rather than bloody stools. This contrasts with invasive or inflammatory pathogens that produce blood in the feces. So the description of watery diarrhea in weaned pigs and calves that is not bloody best matches EAEC clinical disease.