Biology Forums - Study Force

A patient was admitted to the emergency department suffering from severe diarrhea and weight loss. On examination, his stool had a "rice-water" appearance. What pathogen is likely causing this condition, and how does it cause disease?

The patient is suffering from cholera, and the causative agent is Vibrio cholerae. The most important virulence factor of this pathogen is an exotoxin called the cholera toxin, which is made of five identical B subunits and one A subunit. These subunits attach to epithelial cells in the intestine and eventually lead to the production of cyclic AMP (cAMP). In turn, the cAMP stimulates the active secretion of excess electrolytes into the lumen, which in turn causes water to leave the tissues, diluting the intestinal contents and leading to severe dehydration.

The tell tell sign of this patient condition is his stool appearance "rice-water" appearance. Which means this patient may have cholera. Additional symptoms may be vomiting and diarrhea. to get infected, the patient has to drink infected drinking or come in to contact with contaminated food that has been in contact with feces