What causes Whipples disease?
Whipple’s disease is caused by the organism Tropheryma whippelii. It causes a severe infection in the lining of the small intestine, which can spread to the heart, lung, brain, joints, and eyes. It can affect any system of the body, but occurs most often in the small intestine. The disease causes lesions on the wall of the small intestine and thickening of the tissue. The villi–tiny, finger-like protrusions from the wall that help absorb nutrients–are destroyed.
