This disease can also occasionally be caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica. Bordetella pertussis are aerobic coccobacilli which are gram- negative, human- specific pathogens. This bacteria thus uses aerobic respiration for metabolism. This bacteria is “encapsulated and does not produce spores” (NCBI) B. pertussis typically
Whooping cough is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis. Despite having an available vaccine, cases of whooping cough in the United States and around the world have steadily increased since the 1980s, especially among infant and adolescent age groups. In recent years, 2012 had the highest number of cases since 1955. The number of cases have since decreased however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted a 15% increase