* Adhesins: UPEC have specialized adhesins that allow them to attach to the cells lining the urinary tract. This attachment is the first step in establishing a UTI.
* Toxins: UPEC can produce toxins that damage the cells lining the urinary tract, leading to inflammation and symptoms such as pain, burning, and urgency when urinating.
* Biofilm formation: UPEC can form biofilms, which are colonies of bacteria that are embedded in a protective matrix of extracellular material. Biofilms make UPEC more resistant to antibiotics and more difficult to eradicate from the urinary tract.
* Immune evasion: UPEC have a variety of mechanisms to evade the host immune response, including the production of enzymes that degrade immune factors and the ability to survive within host cells.
These virulence factors allow UPEC to colonize the urinary tract, damage the cells lining the tract, and evade the host immune response, leading to the development of a UTI.
