Which bacterium is listed as a cause of enteropathic arthropathies and is also a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea?

• A. Shigella
• B. Clostridioides difficile
• C. Salmonella
• D. Campylobacter

Answer: (B)

Enteropathic arthropathies are inflammatory joint conditions that can follow certain intestinal infections. Clostridioides difficile is well known for causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea due to toxin-mediated colitis after antibiotic use. In addition, there can be extraintestinal manifestations, including arthritis, in some patients with C. difficile infection. This combination—a common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and a potential trigger for enteric-inflammatory joint symptoms—makes it the best answer.

The other bacteria are classic triggers of enteropathic arthritis in general, but they are not primarily associated with antibiotic-associated diarrhea. That distinction is what points to Clostridioides difficile as the correct choice.