A bacterium of the family Brucellaceae.
One of the parvobacteria, the genus Bordetella has only one species, Bord. pertussis, the causative organism of whooping cough. The small Gram-negative organisms are cultivable on special media such as those of Lacey, Bordet – Gengou or charcoal agar, giving small pearly colonies after 2 -3 days’ incubation. Freshly isolated strains possess common antigenic characteristics, and vaccines made from ‘smooth’ strains confer a high degree of immunity in infants.
A genus of tiny Gram-negative aerobic bacteria. B. pertussis causes whooping cough, and all the other species are able to break down red blood cells and cause diseases resembling whooping cough.
A genus of hemolytic gram-negative coccobacilli of the family Brucellaceae. Some species are parasitic and pathogenic in warm-blooded animals, including humans.