A bacterial type III secretion system (T3SS) inhibitor compound of formula I: wherein A is independently CH or N; X is independently selected from hydrogen or halogen; Z is O, S, NH; or NR 3, where R 3 is alkyl; V is NR 2, O, or CR 3 R 4; R 2, R 3, and R 4 are independently hydrogen or alkyl; Y is selected from: a divalent straight-chain, branched, or cyclic alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl radical of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more heteroatoms, and which may be unsubstituted or substituted with up to four substituents selected from halo, cyano, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamido, acylamino, amidino, sulfonamido, aminosulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, and heteroaryloxy; oxygen; or NR 5 wherein R 5 is hydrogen or alkyl; W is an aryl or heteroaryl radical forming a five-membered or six-membered ring which may be additionally fused with from 1 to 3 aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, or heterocycloalkyl rings, which W radical may be unsubstituted or substituted with up to four substituents selected from halo, cyano, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamido, acylamino, amidino, sulfonamido, aminosulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, and heteroaryloxy, and wherein any two substituents together may form an aromatic or non-aromatic ring structure fused with said aryl or heteroaryl radical W, which substituents found on W also may be optionally bonded covalently to either Y or R 2, or both Y and R 2, to form heterocyclic or carbocyclic ring systems, which ring systems may be aromatic, heteroaromatic, or partly aromatic. A is independently CH or N; X is independently selected from hydrogen or halogen; Z is O, S, NH; or NR 3, where R 3 is alkyl; V is NR 2, O, or CR 3 R 4; R 2, R 3, and R 4 are independently hydrogen or alkyl; Y is selected from: a divalent straight-chain, branched, or cyclic alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl radical of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more heteroatoms, and which may be unsubstituted or substituted with up to four substituents selected from halo, cyano, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamido, acylamino, amidino, sulfonamido, aminosulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, and heteroaryloxy; oxygen; or NR 5 wherein R 5 is hydrogen or alkyl; W is an aryl or heteroaryl radical forming a five-membered or six-membered ring which may be additionally fused with from 1 to 3 aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, or heterocycloalkyl rings, which W radical may be unsubstituted or substituted with up to four substituents selected from halo, cyano, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamido, acylamino, amidino, sulfonamido, aminosulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, and heteroaryloxy, and wherein any two substituents together may form an aromatic or non-aromatic ring structure fused with said aryl or heteroaryl radical W, which substituents found on W also may be optionally bonded covalently to either Y or R 2, or both Y and R 2, to form heterocyclic or carbocyclic ring systems, which ring systems may be aromatic, heteroaromatic, or partly aromatic. a divalent straight-chain, branched, or cyclic alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl radical of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which may contain one or more heteroatoms, and which may be unsubstituted or substituted with up to four substituents selected from halo, cyano, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamido, acylamino, amidino, sulfonamido, aminosulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, and heteroaryloxy; oxygen; or NR 5 wherein R 5 is hydrogen or alkyl; W is an aryl or heteroaryl radical forming a five-membered or six-membered ring which may be additionally fused with from 1 to 3 aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, or heterocycloalkyl rings, which W radical may be unsubstituted or substituted with up to four substituents selected from halo, cyano, hydroxy, amino, alkylamino, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxamido, acylamino, amidino, sulfonamido, aminosulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, and heteroaryloxy, and wherein any two substituents together may form an aromatic or non-aromatic ring structure fused with said aryl or heteroaryl radical W, which substituents found on W also may be optionally bonded covalently to either Y or R 2, or both Y and R 2, to form heterocyclic or carbocyclic ring systems, which ring systems may be aromatic, heteroaromatic, or partly aromatic.