Description
Bordetella pertussis is a small, Gram-negative bacterium. Bordetella pertussis is a strict human pathogen that is the causative agent of pertussis (whooping cough). Its natural habitat is in the human respiratory mucosa.
Pertussis is a severe, highly contagious respiratory disease characterized by outbursts of coughing followed by “whooping” sound during breathing in. Often vomiting takes place with discharge of sticky mucus. The bacteria are transmitted directly from person to person and are most contagious in its early stage of the disease. The symptoms of pertussis are similar to a common cold: runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and low-grade fever.
