Download Destiny Johnson Assignment #1 Professor Gallo 15 September

Destiny Johnson
Assignment #1
Professor Gallo
15 September 2013
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
Bordetella
pertussis
is
an
aerobic,
non-spore
forming,
gram-negative
coccobacillus (Shumilla et. al., 2004). It has no known reservoir other than humans and
is thought to be unable to survive in the environment for prolonged periods of time
(Merkel, 1998). The Bordetella genus of the Alcaligenaceae family is included in seven
different species: four of which can cause respiratory tract infections in different host
organisms (Babu et al., 2001). Bordetella parapertussis is the most closely related to the
Bordetella pertussis. It can cause a milder pertussis-like disease in humans, but
Bordetella pertussis is the most serious human pathogen in this genus (Babu el al., 2001).
Bordetella pertussis invades its human host through entry into the respiratory tract where
it colonizes to whooping cough, also known as pertussis.
Pertussis is very contagious with an 80% secondary attack rate (CDC, 2005). The
transmission of pertussis occurs via respiratory droplets. However, direct contact with
respiratory secretions from infected individuals may lead to the disease (CDC, 2005).
Additionally, freshly contaminated articles, such as clothing, from an infected person can
contain infectious respiratory secretions. Pertussis is on the rise in adolescent and adult
populations. Parents are a common source of Bordetella pertussis infections for infants
while other family members, such as aunts and uncles, provide another potential source
of infection (Forsyth et al., 2004).
The outbreaks of whooping cough were first described in the sixteenth century. It
has been marked as a major cause of childhood fatality prior to vaccination. It was first
described in 1578 as an epidemic of pediatric respiratory disease that began in Paris and
spread throughout Europe (Steele, 2004). It is unclear if this is the first emergence of the
disease or if it is simply the first time a careful recording of clinical reservations related
to Bordetella pertussis was made (Steele, 2004). In the pre-vaccination era, nearly every
child contracted the disease and pertussis was a major cause of infant death throughout
the world. Between the years 1940-1945 more than one million cases of pertussis was
reported in the U.S, averaging about 175,000 cases a year (CDC, 2005).
Although pertussis has declined dramatically since the pre-vaccination period, a
lot of work must still be done before the disease is controlled. A more successful vaccine
needs to be developed that has a lower risk of side effects and has fewer administrations
needed for protective immunity to develop. People believe that pertussis is no longer a
problem, but without better control techniques, the rates with continue to increase and
more people will be affected each year.
Works Cited
Babu, MM., Bhargavi, J., Singh Saund, R., Singh, S.K. Virulence Factors in Bordetella
pertussis. Current Science. June 2001; 80(12): 1512-1522.
Forsyth, K.D., Campins-Marti, M., Caro, J., Cherry, J.D., Greenberg, D., Guiso, N.,
Heininger, U., Schellenkens, J., Tan, T., von Konig, C., Plotkin, S. New Pertussis
Vaccination Strategies beyond Infancy:
Recommendations by the Global
Pertussis Initiative. Clinical Infectious Diseases. Dec 2004: 39: 1802-1809.
Merkel, T.J., Stibitz, S., Keith, J.M., Leef, M., Shahin, R. Contribution of Regulation by
the bvg Locus to Respiratory Infection of Mice by Bordetella pertussis.
Infection and Immunity. Sept 1998; 66(9): 4367-4373.
Shumilla, J.A., Lacaille, V., Hornell, M.C., Haung, J., Narasimhan, S., Relman, D.A.,
Mellins, E.D.
Bordetella Pertussis Infection of Primary Human Monocytes
Alters HLA-DR Expression. Infection and Immunity. Mar 2004; 72(3): 14501462.
Steele, RW. Pertussis:
33(8): 525-534.
Is Eradication Achievable?
Pediatric Annals.
Aug 2004;