Review Question - QID 210652

A 32-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with abdominal pain and vaginal discharge. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy three days prior to presentation. Since then, she has been feeling sick, and she is concerned that she has been getting worse over time. On presentation, her temperature is 100.7°F (38.1°C), blood pressure is 115/78 mmHg, pulse is 105/min, and respirations are 14/min. Physical exam reveals abdominal discomfort with uterine tenderness, and laboratory results show elevated white blood cell count with many plasma cells. Culture reveals a normal colonizer of the vaginal flora that is easily treated with amoxicillin. The most likely cause of this patient's disorder has which of the following characteristics?