Pertussis

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis is primarily a toxin-mediated disease. The bacteria attach to the cilia of the respiratory epithelial cells, produce toxins that paralyze the cilia, and cause infelammation of the respiratory tract, which interferes with the clearing of pulmonary secretions. Pertussis antigens […]

Brucellosis

OVERVIEW:  The Brucellae are a group of gram-negative cocco-baccillary organisms, of which four species are pathogenic in humans.  Abattoir and laboratory workers infections suggest that Brucella spp. are highly infectious via the aerosol route.  It is estimated that inhalation of only 10 to 100 bacteria is sufficient to cause disease in man.  The relatively long […]