Details:
Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative, aerobic, pathogenic bacterium belonging to the genus Bordetella, recognized as the cause of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. This encapsulated coccobacillus possesses several virulence factors, including pertussis toxin, adenylate cyclase toxin, filamentous haemagglutinin, pertactin, fimbria, and tracheal cytotoxin. Bordetella pertussis is exclusively a human pathogen. However, it can experimentally infect other animals, such as rats, mice, and primates, when administered in large doses, which provides models for studying its pathogenesis and immunity.