Many bacterial pathogens have evolved distinct ways of disarming the inflammatory response and prolonging infection. Enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli interfere with the immune response by injecting virulence effector proteins into the host cell that shut down innate immune signaling pathways. We have identified effector proteins that prevent the activation of death receptor signaling. Through the action of these effector proteins, EPEC and EHEC delay both inflammation and apoptosis, thereby inhibiting two major innate host responses.