Which organism produces a clinic syndrome similar to appendicitis and is spread via the fecal-oral route?

• A. Shigella dysenteriae
• B. Campylobacter jejuni
• C. Yersinia enterocolitica
• D. Salmonella enterica

Answer: (C)

Feverish abdominal pain with right-lower-quadrant tenderness can come from inflammation of the ileocecal lymph nodes, a condition known as mesenteric lymphadenitis. This can mimic true appendicitis, leading to the classic pseudoappendicitis picture. Yersinia enterocolitica is a textbook cause of this presentation because it often infects the ileocecal region and causes mesenteric adenitis that presents with RLQ pain, fever, and sometimes diarrhea.

Transmission is via the fecal-oral route, typically through contaminated food or water. Foods commonly implicated include undercooked pork and unpasteurized milk, and contact with infected animals or people can also spread it. This combination—intestinal inflammation around the ileocecal area producing appendicitis-like pain and fecal-oral spread—makes Yersinia enterocolitica the best fit for the scenario.

While other bacteria can cause gastroenteritis and can occasionally present with abdominal pain, the pattern most classically associated with appendicitis-like symptoms due to mesenteric adenitis and fecal-oral transmission is Yersinia enterocolitica.