Bordetella pertussis

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes pertussis, a contagious respiratory infection marked by prolonged coughing.

Pertussis toxin: A protein toxin produced by Bordetella pertussis that disrupts signaling in host cells. It alters host-cell signaling and contributes to systemic effects of infection.
Pertussis: A contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, characterized by prolonged coughing. This is the disease the bacterium causes and the clinical condition clinicians identify.
Jules Bordet: A Belgian immunologist and microbiologist whose research helped establish the bacterium responsible for pertussis. Bordet co-discovered the organism later named in his honor.
Bordetella parapertussis: A Bordetella species that causes a pertussis-like respiratory illness, often with milder symptoms. It can produce a similar syndrome but is a distinct species from the primary pertussis agent.
Tracheal cytotoxin: A peptidoglycan fragment that damages ciliated cells in the respiratory tract. Its injury to airway cilia helps explain impaired mucus clearance during infection.
Pertussis vaccine: A vaccine that protects against pertussis, using acellular antigens or whole-cell bacteria depending on formulation. Vaccination reduces disease and transmission, though protection can wane over time.
Octave Gengou: A Belgian bacteriologist who collaborated with Jules Bordet on isolating the pertussis bacterium. Gengou helped develop the culture medium used to isolate the organism.
Bordetella bronchiseptica: A Bordetella species that commonly infects animals and can occasionally cause human respiratory disease. Its broad animal host range contrasts with the human-adapted B. pertussis.
Filamentous hemagglutinin: A surface-associated adhesin that helps Bordetella pertussis attach to respiratory cells. This adhesin supports colonization of the ciliated airway lining.
Polymerase chain reaction: A laboratory method that amplifies selected DNA sequences for detection and analysis. PCR can detect Bordetella pertussis DNA in respiratory specimens, especially early in illness.

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