Figure 3.

Possible mechanisms at play in the super shedder phenotype. A gut presenting with low diversity exhibits low microbiota-nourishing immunity and may be more prone colonization by the pathogen. Virulence factors may induce a strong inflammatory response, thus creating a new niche for pathogen installation, altering its metabolism. Then, the pathogen faces competition from other closely related bacteria (e.g., Enterobacterales in the case of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7), thanks to specific bacterial compounds, which may lead to its luminal expansion. Alternatively, immunodeficiency may lead to luminal expansion of the pathogen. Created with BioRender.com, accessed on 18 October 2022.