A 27-year-old woman is admitted to the ED after losing consciousness at home. Now fully alert, she complains of achiness, nausea, vomiting, and fever, which began yesterday morning. The patient has no medical or gynecologic history. She is 3 days into her menstrual period. She informs the nurse that she uses super-absorbent tampons and, occasionally, contraceptive sponges. The patient’s vital signs are blood pressure 86/48 mmHg, temperature 103o F (39.4oC), pulse rate 124 beats/minute, and respiratory rate 28 breaths/minute. Based on the above symptoms, the nurse would suspect that the patient has: