About Bordetella holmesii:
- It is a bacterium recently recognized in 1995.
- It is a gram-negative coccobacillus that can cause pertussis-like symptoms in humans as well as invasive infections.
- It can cause endocarditis, community acquired pneumonia, cellulitis, suppurative arthritis, and pyelonephritis.
- Researchers discovered that nearly 37 per cent of infections in North India were caused by Bordetella holmesii (bacterium), surpassing the number of infections from Bordetella pertussis.
What is Whooping cough?
- It is also known as pertussis.
- It is a highly contagious infection which impacts the respiratory tract and is caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria.
- It gets its name from the “whooping” sound which the patient experiences while coughing.
- It is particularly severe in infants and in case of complications may lead to pneumonia and even death.
- Transmission of Whooping cough
- A person catches this bacteria via droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
- It attaches itself to the throat lining and then produces toxins which damage hair-like projections which clear debris and mucus.
- This leads to inflammation in the airways and causes severe coughing fits.
- Symptoms of Whooping cough
- It begins with cold-like symptoms accompanied with low-grade fever. As it progresses, cough get accompanied with “whooping” sound.
- It causes sleep apnea in children.
- Treatment: Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccines.
