A 20-year-old white man was brought to the emergency department of a
local hospital for evaluation of severe abdominal cramping and diarrhea.
The patient had lower abdominal discomfort and reported having had eight
loose bowel movements per day in the 3 days before his arrival at the
hospital. He had recently noticed bloody bowel movements as well. During
history taking, the patient related that he had had a dinner of mixed green
salad and BBQ chicken at a local restaurant approximately 30 hours before
the onset of symptoms, and that his roommate had experienced similar but
much milder symptoms, which had since cleared up.