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 […]