Bacterial Gastroenteritis

Bacterial gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the stomach and intestines that causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.

The infection usually occurs through the consumption of contaminated food, particularly undercooked meat, unpasteurized dairy, raw vegetables, or contaminated water.

One common cause of infection is pathogenic Escherichia coli strains.

Some pathogenic strains, like enterohemorrhagic E. coli, release Shiga toxins.

The toxin enters the intestinal epithelial cells and blocks protein synthesis, resulting in cell death.

The toxin can also damage the intestinal blood vessels, leading to bloody diarrhea.

Other strains, such as enteropathogenic E. coli, use a type III secretion system to inject bacterial proteins into host intestinal cells.

As a result, the host cell reorganizes its surface to form a pedestal that locks the bacterium in place.

This destroys the microvilli and impairs nutrient absorption, contributing to watery diarrhea.