Bordetella pertussis

Overview

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative, aerobic coccobacillus and the causative agent of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough — a highly contagious respiratory disease characterized by severe paroxysmal coughing episodes. The bacterium colonizes the ciliated epithelium of the upper respiratory tract, where it elaborates a suite of virulence factors including pertussis toxin (PTx), filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), and pertactin (PRN), each of which plays a distinct role in adherence, immune evasion, and systemic pathology. Pertussis toxin, an ADP-ribosylating exotoxin, disrupts G-protein signaling in host immune cells and is a principal mediator of systemic immunomodulation; FHA functions as a major adhesin facilitating bacterial attachment to respiratory epithelial cells; and pertactin contributes to colonization resistance against neutrophil-mediated clearance. The disease disproportionately burdens infants under six months of age — who are too young to have completed primary vaccination — and can result in apnea, pneumonia, and death.

immunization has been the cornerstone of pertussis control since the mid-twentieth century. Whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccines were succeeded in many countries by acellular pertussis (aP) formulations, which combine pertussis toxoid and accessory antigens such as FHA and pertactin with reduced reactogenicity. Despite achieving high global vaccination coverage, pertussis continues to re-emerge in adolescents and adults, owing in part to waning immunity conferred by aP vaccines and, increasingly, evidence that aP vaccines may not prevent asymptomatic infection and onward transmission. Cytokine responses including interferon-gamma (IFNG) and interleukin-17A (IL17A) are implicated in durable mucosal and cellular immunity to B. pertussis, forming an active area of investigation in next-generation vaccine design.

Focus of Latest Publications

Recent publications on Bordetella pertussis have focused largely on vaccination, immune responses, and pertussis prevention in vulnerable populations. In preterm infants, a prospective observational study evaluated vaccine-induced antibody titers against Bordetella pertussis after early neonatal antibiotic exposure and found reduced antibody responses at four months corrected age, with the effect appearing more pronounced in girls. The same study linked antibiotic exposure to altered early gut microbiome patterns, increased monocytes and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in exposed girls, and metabolomic changes that correlated with these immune differences, suggesting that early-life antibiotics may impair pertussis vaccine responsiveness through microbiome- and immune-mediated pathways.

Several studies addressed pertussis vaccination uptake and knowledge in human populations. Among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia, a cross-sectional survey found substantial gaps in knowledge about pertussis and the Tdap vaccine, despite generally positive attitudes toward vaccination; concerns about side effects and safety were common, and the authors emphasized the need for targeted education to improve uptake and maternal-infant protection. In Australian parents of newborns, a qualitative focus on “No Vax, No Visit” described a parent-led practice intended to reduce newborn exposure to pertussis by requiring visitors to be up to date with Tdap/dTpa vaccination, highlighting the psychosocial burden of enforcing such boundaries. In children with cystic fibrosis in Tuscany, Bordetella pertussis was included among mandatory respiratory vaccinations assessed in a retrospective review, which reported excellent coverage for mandatory vaccines overall, though the study’s main concern was broader preventive strategy optimization in this high-risk group.

Other recent work examined pertussis infection and vaccine performance more directly. A longitudinal study in adolescents vaccinated with acellular pertussis vaccine investigated asymptomatic Bordetella pertussis infection during an outbreak and aimed to characterize the associated serologic response, reflecting ongoing concern that acellular vaccines may not fully prevent silent transmission. In parallel, a rodent-model study developed an intranasal nano-adjuvanted pertussis vaccine candidate using filamentous haemagglutinin and pertussis toxoid encapsulated in N-trimethyl chitosan with CpG as adjuvant and crosslinker; nasal administration produced strong humoral and mucosal responses, including increased IgG and secretory IgA, along with induction of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17, supporting the potential of mucosal delivery strategies for improved pertussis immunogenicity.

Taken together, these publications portray Bordetella pertussis as a continuing target of vaccine-focused research spanning maternal immunization, pediatric protection, outbreak surveillance, and next-generation vaccine design. The studies collectively underscore persistent challenges in vaccine coverage, possible modifiers of vaccine response such as early antibiotic exposure, and the need for improved strategies to prevent pertussis in newborns, adolescents, and other vulnerable populations.