Bordetella Pertussis Research Paper

Bordetella pertussis is a very contagious disease in the upper respiratory system. It is known to cause whopping cough, or pertussis, an acute respiratory infection marked by spasmodic cough episodes. It is caused by the bacterium, Bordetella pertussis, and attaches to the lining of the airways, humans are its only host. It is characterized by fits of coughing that are so severe that you can’t stop or catch your breath. Although people of all ages can become infected with this disease, it is mild for adults. Young infants are at the highest risk for this disease, the greatest majority of fatal cases in the United States each year is infants under six months of age who have not been vaccinated.

This bacteria is slow-growing, and one media used to cultivate it is charcoal agar with supplements. The plates containing Bordetella pertussis incubates for up to five days and is a gram-negative bacteria, colonies are small, shiny, and round. It is transmitted by the inhalation of bacteria when a person that is infected with the disease coughs or sneezes, and droplets are spread into the air and breathed into the lungs of anyone who is near. …show more content…
After a week or two, stage two develops, this is called the paroxysmal stage, where there may be symptoms of vomiting, red or blue face, extreme fatigue, and a high pitched “whoop” sound during the next breath of air. Some people do not develop the “whoop” sound, and some infants may not cough at all, they just struggle to breathe or stop breathing. This stage may last around two weeks. The third stage is called the convalescent stage, where there are symptoms of a chronic cough that may last for