A 32-Year-Old Man Is Being Assessed After Suffering from Watery

A 32-year-old man is being assessed after suffering from watery diarrhea for many weeks. He also experienced intermittent, crampy stomach pain and dropped 7 kg (15.4 lb) throughout this time. The patient has a history of HIV and was admitted to the hospital six months ago for Pneumocystis pneumonia. The patient is afebrile on physical examination, and the abdomen is soft and nontender, with no organomegaly. Stool leukocyte and occult blood tests are negative. Endoscopy is done, and a mucosal biopsy reveals an inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria as well as pathogens lining the epithelium, as seen in the exhibit. .   The organisms have a cystic appearance on modified acid-fast staining.  Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

A) Clostridium difficile
B) Cryptosporidium parvum
C) Entamoeba histolytica
D) Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli
E) Giardia lamblia
F) Mycobacterium avium complex
G) Salmonella enteritidis

Correct Answer:

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