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Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e
| Part 8. Infectious Diseases > Section 6. Diseases Caused by Gram-Negative Bacteria > |
Chapter 148. Pertussis and Other Bordetella Infections
Sections: Pertussis and Other Bordetella Infections: Introduction, Further Readings.
Topics Discussed: bordetella infections; bordetella pertussis bacterium; genus bordetella; pertussis; respiratory tract infections, upper.
Excerpt:"Pertussis is an acute infection of the respiratory tract caused by Bordetella pertussis. The name pertussis means "violent cough," which aptly describes the most consistent and prominent feature of the illness. The inspiratory sound made at the end of an episode of paroxysmal coughing gives rise to the common name for the illness, "whooping cough." However, this feature is variable: it is uncommon among infants  6 months of age and is frequently absent in older children and adults. The Chinese name for pertussis is "the 100-day cough," which accurately describes the clinical course of the illness. The identification of B. pertussis was first reported by Bordet and Gengou in 1906, and vaccines were produced over the following two decades.Of the 10 identified species in the genus Bordetella, only three are of major medical significance. B. pertussis infects only humans and is the most important Bordetella species causing human disease. B. parapertussis causes an illness in humans that is similar to pertussis but is typically milder; co-infections with B. parapertussis and B. pertussis have been documented. B. bronchiseptica..."
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