''Bordetella bronchiseptica'' is a small,

gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wa ...

, rod-shaped

bacterium Bacteria (; singular: 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 am ...

of the genus ''

Bordetella ''Bordetella'' () is a genus of small (0.2 – 0.7 µm), gram-negative coccobacilli of the phylum Pseudomonadota. ''Bordetella'' species, with the exception of '' B. petrii'', are obligate aerobes, as well as highly fastidious, or difficult ...

''. 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 ( el, πάθος, "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 g ...

that causes

pertussis Whooping cough, also known as pertussis or the 100-day cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease. Initial symptoms are usually similar to those of the common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough, but these are followed by two or t ...

(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 respiration in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory mucosa. Air is breathed in through the nose to ...

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 The Macrolides are a class of natural products that consist of a large macrocyclic lactone ring to which one or more deoxy sugars, usually cladinose and desosamine, may be attached. The lactone rings are usually 14-, 15-, or 16-membered. Ma ...

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 antibiotics ...

s. Some human cases have been successfully treated with

trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, sold under the brand name Bactrim among others, is a fixed-dose combination antibiotic medication used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. It consists of one part trimethoprim to five parts sulfamethoxa ...

and

fluoroquinolone A quinolone antibiotic is a member of a large group of broad-spectrum bacteriocidals that share a bicyclic core structure related to the substance 4-quinolone. They are used in human and veterinary medicine to treat bacterial infections, as wel ...

s. ''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. Rese ...

, 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 pigs, ''B. bronchiseptica'' and ''

Pasteurella multocida ''Pasteurella multocida'' is a Gram-negative, nonmotile, penicillin-sensitive coccobacillus of the family Pasteurellaceae. Strains of the species are currently classified into five serogroups (A, B, D, E, F) based on capsular composition and ...

'' act synergistically to cause

atrophic rhinitis Chronic atrophic rhinitis, or simply atrophic rhinitis, is a chronic inflammation of the nose characterised by atrophy of nasal mucosa, including the glands, turbinate bones and the nerve elements supplying the nose. Chronic atrophic rhinitis ...

, a disease resulting in arrested growth and distortion of the

turbinate In anatomy, a nasal concha (), plural conchae (), 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 animals. The conchae are shaped lik ...

s in the nasal terminus (snout). In dogs, ''B. bronchiseptica'' causes acute tracheobronchitis, which typically has a harsh, honking cough.

Kennel cough Kennel cough, also known as canine infectious respiratory disease, formally canine infectious tracheobronchitis, is an upper respiratory infection affecting dogs. There are multiple causative agents, the most common being the bacterium ''Bordete ...

can also be caused by canine adenovirus-2 or canine parainfluenza virus or a combination of pathogens. In

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...

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

asymptomatic In medicine, any disease is classified asymptomatic if a patient tests as carrier for a disease or infection but experiences no symptoms. Whenever a medical condition fails to show noticeable symptoms after a diagnosis it might be considered a ...

infection known as snuffles, but the causative agent for that disease is ''

''; ''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'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

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

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may occur. Th ...

, 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, irrita ...

(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 cl ...

, and

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...

. However, URI in cats can also be caused by

herpesvirus ''Herpesviridae'' is a large family of DNA viruses that cause infections and certain diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are also known as herpesviruses. The family name is derived from the Greek word ''ἕρπειν ...

, calicivirus, ''

Mycoplasma ''Mycoplasma'' is a genus of bacteria that, like the other members of the class '' Mollicutes'', lack a cell wall around their cell membranes. Peptidoglycan ( murein) is absent. This characteristic makes them naturally resistant to antibioti ...

'' species, or '' Chlamydia psittaci''. An intranasal vaccine exists for cats.

Outbreaks

2022 outbreak

In late 2022, together with the H3N2 strain of canine influenza 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, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

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, which had been emptied at the height of 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