Question

Which bacterium produces Toxin A and Toxin B that leads to severe diarrhea and potentially fatal antibiotic-associated colitis?

1) Staphylococcus aureus
2) Clostridium difficile
3) Escherichia coli
4) Salmonella enterica

Answer 1

Clostridium difficile produces Toxin A and Toxin B, leading to severe diarrhea and potentially fatal antibiotic-associated colitis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The bacterium that produces Toxin A and Toxin B, leading to severe diarrhea and potentially fatal antibiotic-associated colitis, is Clostridium difficile. When the normal gut microbiota is eradicated by antibiotics, C. difficile can overgrow and cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This bacterium produces two toxins, Toxin A and Toxin B, which inactivate small GTP-binding proteins and result in actin condensation, cell rounding, and ultimately cell death.