- The primary virulence factor of Vibrio cholerae is the cholera toxin, which is an A-B toxin that increases intracellular cAMP in intestinal epithelial cells.
- This leads to massive chloride and water secretion into the intestinal lumen, causing the characteristic profuse watery diarrhea (rice-water stools) of cholera.
- None of the other options are associated with Vibrio cholerae; they are virulence factors of other bacteria.