| Bordetella bronchiseptica | |
|---|---|
| Scanning electron micrograph of B. bronchiseptica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Proteobacteria |
| Class: | Beta Proteobacteria |
| Order: | Burkholderiales |
| Family: | Alcaligenaceae |
| Genus: | Bordetella |
| Species: | B. bronchiseptica |
| Binomial name | |
| Bordetella bronchiseptica (Ferry 1912) Moreno-López 1952 |
|
Bordetella bronchiseptica is a small, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Bordetella.[1] It can cause infectious bronchitis, but rarely infects humans.[2] Closely related to B. pertussis[3]—the obligate human pathogen that causes pertussis or whooping cough—B. bronchiseptica can persist in the environment for extended periods.[4]
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Humans are not natural carriers of B. bronchiseptica, which typically infects the respiratory tracts of smaller mammals (cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.).[3] People are more likely to be infected by B. pertussis or B. parapertussis.
B. bronchiseptica does not express pertussis toxin, which is one of the characteristic virulence factors of B. pertussis. But it has the genes to do so, highlighting the close evolutionary relationship between the two species.[5],[6]
In veterinary medicine, B. bronchiseptica leads to a range of pathologies in different hosts. It is a serious disease of dogs, pigs, and rabbits and has been seen in cats, horses, and seals. There is a PCR test for the pathogen.[7]
In pigs, B. bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida act synergistically to cause atrophic rhinitis, a disease resulting in arrested growth and distortion of the turbinates in the nasal terminus (snout).[8]
In dogs, B. bronchiseptica causes acute tracheobronchitis,[9] which typically has a harsh, honking cough. (See kennel cough). Kennel cough can also be caused by canine adenovirus-2 or canine parainfluenza virus or a combination of pathogens.[7]
In rabbits, B. bronchiseptica is often found in the nasal tract. It is often assumed to cause a nearly asymptomatic infection known as snuffles, but the causative agent for that disease is Pasteurella multocida; "B. bronchiseptica" often co-infects the nasal passage at the same time.[10]
[CODE: 033.8 WHOOPING COUGH, DUE TO OTHER SPECIFIED ORGANISM]
[Bordetella bronchiseptica [B.BRONCHISEPTICA]
[Cats] infected with B. bronchiseptica have been seen with tracheobronchitis, conjunctivitis and rhinitis (upper-respiratory tract infection or URI), mandibular lymphadenopathy, and pneumonia. However, URI in cats can also be caused by herpesvirus, calicivirus, Mycoplasma species, or Chlamydia psittaci.[7] An intranasal vaccine exists for cats.[11]