''Bordetella bronchiseptica'' is a small,

gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that, unlike gram-positive bacteria, do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. Their defining characteristic is that their cell envelope consists ...

, rod-shaped

bacterium Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the ...

of the genus ''

Bordetella ''Bordetella'' () is a genus of small (0.2 – 0.7 μm), Gram-negative, coccobacilli bacteria of the phylum Pseudomonadota. ''Bordetella'' species, with the exception of ''Bordetella petrii, B. petrii'', are obligate aerobes, as well as hig ...

''. It can cause infectious

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

in dogs and other animals, but rarely infects humans. Closely related to '' B. pertussis''—the obligate human

pathogen In biology, a pathogen (, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of"), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a Germ theory of d ...

that causes

pertussis Whooping cough ( or ), also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable bacterial disease. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, bu ...

(whooping cough); ''B. bronchiseptica'' can persist in the environment for extended periods.

Pathogenesis

Humans are not natural carriers of ''B. bronchiseptica'', which typically infects the

respiratory tract The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of conducting air to the alveoli for the purposes of gas exchange in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respirato ...

s of smaller mammals (cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.). People are more likely to be infected by ''B. pertussis'' or '' B. parapertussis''. Unlike ''B. pertussis'', ''B. bronchiseptica'' is generally resistant to

macrolide Macrolides are a class of mostly natural products with a large macrocyclic lactone ring to which one or more deoxy sugars, usually cladinose and desosamine, may be attached. Macrolides belong to the polyketide class of natural products. ...

antibiotics. It is also generally resistant to

cephalosporin The cephalosporins (sg. ) are a class of β-lactam antibiotics originally derived from the fungus '' Acremonium'', which was previously known as ''Cephalosporium''. Together with cephamycins, they constitute a subgroup of β-lactam antibio ...

s. Some human cases have been successfully treated with

trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, sold under the trade names Bactrim, Cotrim (a short form of the British Approved Name, Co-trimoxazole) and Septra, among others, is a fixed-dose combination antibiotic medication used to treat a variety of bacte ...

and fluoroquinolones. ''B. bronchiseptica'' does not express

pertussis toxin Pertussis toxin (PT) is a protein-based AB5-type exotoxin produced by the bacterium '' Bordetella pertussis'', which causes whooping cough. PT is involved in the colonization of the respiratory tract and the establishment of infection. ...

, which is one of the characteristic virulence factors of ''B. pertussis'', but it has the genes to do so, highlighting the close evolutionary relationship between the two species.

Veterinary pathogenesis

In veterinary medicine, ''B. bronchiseptica'' leads to a range of pathologies in different hosts. It is a serious disease of dogs, pigs, and rabbits, and has been seen in cats, horses, and seals. A PCR test for the pathogen exists. In

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the genus '' Sus''. Some authorities cons ...

s, ''B. bronchiseptica'' and '' Pasteurella multocida'' act synergistically to cause atrophic rhinitis, a disease resulting in arrested growth and distortion of the

turbinate In anatomy, a nasal concha (; : conchae; ; Latin for 'shell'), also called a nasal turbinate or turbinal, is a long, narrow, curled shelf of bone that protrudes into the breathing passage of the nose in humans and various other animals. The con ...

s in the nasal terminus (snout). In

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

s, ''B. bronchiseptica'' causes acute tracheobronchitis, which typically has a harsh, honking cough. Kennel cough can also be caused by canine adenovirus-2 or canine parainfluenza virus or a combination of pathogens. In

rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...

s, ''B. bronchiseptica'' is often found in the nasal tract. It is often assumed to cause a nearly

asymptomatic Asymptomatic (or clinically silent) is an adjective categorising the medical conditions (i.e., injuries or diseases) that patients carry but without experiencing their symptoms, despite an explicit diagnosis (e.g., a positive medical test). P ...

infection known as snuffles, but the causative agent for that disease is '' Pasteurella multocida''; ''B. bronchiseptica'' often co-infects the nasal passage at the same time.Burns, E. H., Jr., J. M. Norman, M. D. Hatcher and D. A. Bemis (1993). Fimbriae and determination of host species specificity of ''Bordetella bronchiseptica''. ''J Clin Microbiol'' 31(7): 1838-44

Cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

s infected with ''B. bronchiseptica'' have been seen with tracheobronchitis,

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...

, and

rhinitis Rhinitis, also known as coryza, is irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip. The inflammation is caused by viruses, bacteria, irritant ...

(upper respiratory tract infection - URI), mandibular

lymphadenopathy Lymphadenopathy or adenopathy is a disease of the lymph nodes, in which they are abnormal in size or consistency. Lymphadenopathy of an inflammatory type (the most common type) is lymphadenitis, producing swollen or enlarged lymph nodes. In c ...

, and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

. However, URI in cats can also be caused by

herpesvirus ''Orthoherpesviridae'', previously named and more widely known as ''Herpesviridae'', is a large family of DNA viruses that cause infections and certain diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are commonly known as herp ...

, calicivirus, ''

Mycoplasma ''Mycoplasma'' is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class ''Mollicutes'', lack a cell wall, and its peptidoglycan, around their cell membrane. The absence of peptidoglycan makes them naturally resistant to antibiotics ...

'' species, or ''

Chlamydia psittaci ''Chlamydia psittaci'' is a lethal intracellular bacterial species that may cause endemic avian chlamydiosis, epizootic outbreaks in other mammals, and respiratory psittacosis in humans. Potential hosts include feral birds and domesticated po ...

''. An intranasal vaccine exists for cats.

Outbreaks

2022 outbreak

In late 2022, together with the H3N2 strain of

canine influenza Canine influenza (dog flu) is influenza occurring in canine animals. Canine influenza is caused by varieties of influenzavirus A, such as equine influenza virus H3N8, which was discovered to cause disease in canines in 2004. Because of the ...

and other respiratory pathogens, Bordetella bronchiseptica experienced a surge in canine infections. This was partially due to increased human travel and reopened offices following the relaxation of

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

public health measures, leading to large numbers of dogs being placed together in kennels and doggy day care centers. Changing pet ownership behaviors also led to overcrowded animal shelters,after the pandemic.

References

External links

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for ''Bordetella bronchiseptica''
(Public Health Agency of Canada)
Genetic sequences of the ''Bordetella bronchiseptica'' complex
(Sanger Institute)
Type strain of ''Bordetella bronchiseptica'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bordetella Bronchiseptica Burkholderiales Mammal diseases Bacteria described in 1952