H. Kawai et al., A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BORDETELLA-PERTUSSIS AND BORDETELLA-PARAPERTUSSIS INFECTIONS, Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases, 28(4), 1996, pp. 377-381
Bordetella parapertussis is isolated during the late stages of pertuss
is outbreaks and occasionally from patients infected with pertussis. T
he relationship between Bordetella pertussis and B. parapertussis was
investigated in mice with monoinfections and mixed infections. Four gr
oups of 10 2-week-old suckling mice were studied: mice born to mice va
ccinated against pertussis during pregnancy and unvaccinated controls
consequently did and did not receive antipertussis toxin (PT) antibody
transcolostrally. The mice were infected transnasally with B. paraper
tussis strain 422 and 2 identical groups were infected transnasally wi
th B. parapertussis strain 422 and B. pertussis strain 18-323. Bacteri
al colonization of the lungs and trachea was studied at 1, 2, and 3 we
eks after challenge. No persistent colonization by B. parapertussis of
the lungs or trachea of monoinfected suckling mice were observed. Per
sistent colonization by B. parapertussis was observed when suckling mi
ce that received anti-PT antibody transcolostrally mere infected with
both species. These findings are consistent with the clinical characte
ristics of B. parapertussis. The results of this study demonstrate tha
t B. pertussis infection facilitates B. parapertussis infection.