Pathogenesis of Bordetella Pertussis

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Bordetella pertussis is an aerobic, Gram-negative, coccobacillus bacterium. It is non-spore forming and non-motile, usually containing a capsule. Its preferred temperature to grow is in the range of 35-37C. Under the microscope, it is identified by its rod like cell shape, as well as its short, oval size. During a blood agar culture test for this particular bacteria, the specimen tends to take 3 to 6 days to form a pinpoint sized colony. B. pertussis appears to only affect the human species, therefore identifying humans as its only host and reservoir. It has multiple virulence factors that allow it to be an aggressive pathogen.
B. pertussis has several virulence factors, mainly involving proteins that have been separated into 2 main classifications: adhesions and toxins. The adhesions category consists of the following: filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), fimbriae (FIM), and pertactin (PRN). FHA is a very large surface protein, and it works to help B. pertussis attach to the host cell. FIM are surface appendages, a common finding in other bacteria. However, these appendages contain a factor called agglutinogens, which is used to serotype this bacteria.1 PRN has shown to take on a defense role, fighting any neutrophils that may come to the rescue. As stated above, the other classification of B. pertussis virulence factors is toxins, and it composed of adenylate cyclase toxin (ACT), pertussis toxin (PT), and tracheal cytotoxin (TC). ACT is actually quite an important virulence factor for this bacteria. It functions by injecting itself into the host cell, where it increases cAMP rates. This causes phagocyte function to cease, and may trigger apoptosis in selected cells.1 The exact role of PT is not yet fully understood, but it has come...

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...es of Pertussis each year4; this number has drastically decreased since vaccinations against this illness were implemented into the health care system.
As science has proven to show, B. pertussis is a stealthy and relentless bacterium. Using only the human species as its reservoir and host choice, its various virulence factors allow it to be successful in regards to infecting individuals. The devastating illness it causes, Pertussis or Whooping Cough, remains to be a global issue today. Although this bacterium provides resistance to regular antibiotics, a special antibiotic family known as macrolides may be used as a treatment option. However, the best practice for protection against this specimen is by obtaining the recommended vaccinations. As society moves forward, the field of science continues to look for new options to make B. pertussis an issue of the past.

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