Bordetella

Bordetella was first described and cultivated in 1906 by the Belgian researchers Jules Bordet and Octave Gengou.

Bordetelles are Gram-negative, coccoid or ovoid encapsulated rods, which are stored singly, in pairs or in groups. Endospores are not formed. Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis are immobile. Bordetella brochiseptica, which are predominantly animal pathogens, bear pili (fimbriae) on their surface.

The genus Bordetella in the order Burkholderiales and the family Alcaligenaceae comprises 8 species of which 3 are of relevant human medical importance (Finger H et al. 1996). The best known is whooping cough caused by Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis. Some species such as Bordetella bronchiseptica, holmesii, Bordetella hinzii, Bordetella trematum can also occasionally cause symptoms of disease in humans.

Growth and metabolism: Apart from Bordetella petrii, they are almost always strictly aerobic bacteria that require oxygen for cell respiration. They utilize citrate as an energy source under aerobic conditions. Sugars (e.g. glucose) cannot be utilized. Bordetella grow well at temperatures in the range of 30-37 °C.

Classification and first descriptors of the Bordetella species known so far.

• Bordetella avium (Kersters et al. 1984) - Host: birds, especially poultry, such as turkeys. Apparently not pathogenic to humans.
• Bordetella bronchiseptica (Ferry 1912) Moreno-López 1952 - Host: various mammals, rarely in humans, bronchopneumonia, peritonitis, meningitis. Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk (Kadlec K et al.2018; Radcliffe C et al. 2020, Woods P et al. 2020).
• Bordetella hinzii (Vandamme et al. 1995) - host: poultry, non-pathogenic there, but occasionally causes serious infections (endocarditis) in humans (González MM et al. 2019)
• Bordetella holmesii (Weyant et al. 1995) - host: humans, invasive infections with bacteraemia (Fishbain JT et al.2015)
• Bordetella parapertussis (Eldering & Kendric:k 1938) Moreno-López 1952 - Host: human, causative agent of whooping cough (mild form).
• Bordetella pertussis (Bergey et al. 1923) Moreno-López 1952 - host: human, causative agent of whooping cough
• Bordetella petrii (von Wintzingerode et al. 2001) the only member of the genus isolated from the environment and able to grow under anaerobic conditions
• Bordetella trematum (Vandamme et al. 1996) - host: human, ulcers, otitis externa (Y Castro TR et al.2019).

B. pertussis, B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica have been known since the first half of the 20th century. They are also referred to as "classical" Bordetella species . The species are genetically so similar that they are also discussed as subspecies of the same species.

Molecularly, within the Bordetella species, B. petrii shows the greatest divergence (97.9-98.6% sequence similarity), followed by B. avium (98.7-98.8%) and B. trematum.

1. Finger H et al (1996) Bordetella. In: Baron S, editor. Medical Microbiology. 4th ed. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Chapter 31. PMID: 21413270.
2. Fishbain JT et al.(2015) Invasive Bordetella holmesii infections. Infect Dis (Lond) 47:65-68.
3. González MM et al. (2019) Bordetella hinzii endocarditis, A Clinical Case Not Previously Described. Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 6:000994
4. Kadlec K et al.(2018) Antimicrobial resistance in Bordetella bronchiseptica. Microbiol Spectr 6(4).
5. Radcliffe C et al (2020) Bordetella bronchiseptica: a rare cause of meningitis. BMC Infect Dis 20:922.
6. Woods P et al (2020) Bordetella bronchiseptica Pneumonia in an Adolescent: Case Report and Review of the Pediatric Literature. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 59:322-328
7. Y Castro TR et al.(2019) Bordetella trematum infection: case report and review of previous cases. BMC Infect Dis 19:485.11111111