C. rodentium contains a conserved pathogenicity island in its genome, the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE).

[2] The LEE encodes a type III secretion system which is critical to the infection and pathogenicity of C. rodentium.

[2] An analysis of the C. rodentium genome has shown that prophage insertion has disrupted several of its genes, including the flagella biosynthesis pathways and galactitol metabolism.

[1] Whole-genome sequencing of Citrobacter rodentium strain ICC168 revealed a single circular chromosome and four plasmids.

[4] C. rodentium has lost the ability to synthesize flagella due to the insertion of prophages in genes encoding elements of the biosynthesis pathway.

[5][6][7] The immune response has similarly been studied in detail and varies across the phases of infection.