Which disease is caused by Bordetella pertussis?

Bordetella pertussis causes pertussis, better known as whooping cough.

The infection usually begins like an ordinary cold, with a runny nose, mild fever, and a light cough. After about a week or two, it can progress to violent, repeated coughing fits. A characteristic high-pitched “whoop” may follow a fit as the patient struggles to inhale, although vaccinated people and very young infants may not make that sound.

B. pertussis spreads through respiratory droplets and is highly contagious. Its toxins damage respiratory defenses and contribute to the prolonged coughing illness. Infants are at greatest risk: they may develop apnea rather than a classic whoop and can require hospitalization. Vaccination remains the principal prevention, with protection strengthened by recommended booster doses.

Pertussis is commonly mixed up with parapertussis, a similar illness caused by Bordetella parapertussis, or with diphtheria, another vaccine-preventable respiratory disease. The organism was cultured in 1906 by Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou, several years before modern pertussis vaccines were developed.