Bacillus Para-Pertussis: A Species Resembling Both Bacillus Pertussis and Bacillus Bronchisepticus but Identical With Neither

Abstract

In connection with a report in 1934 on the results of cough plate examinations for Bacillus pertussis (Kendrick and Eldering, 1934a) we noted that all of 136 strains isolated from patients with whooping cough were similar serologically and corresponded with Leslie and Gardner's Phase I (1931). Since then, up to June 1st, 1937, the total number of Phase I cultures has increased to 1498. During that period we have isolated from seven whooping cough patients ten cultures which resemble B. pertussis in certain respects but do not conform with all the criteria ascribed to Phase I. Strains similar to these ten were not recovered from over 1500 cough plates from patients with upper respiratory infections other, than whooping cough. On the original cough plates from which these organisms were recovered the colonies were typical of B. pertussis after 48 hours incubation. Morphology and staining reaction appeared typical of B. pertussis and agglutination tests were positive with B. pertussis antiserum in low dilution. The plates were reported positive for B. pertussis to the attending physicians. However, after longer incubation the colonies on these cough plates were observed to be unusually large and, unlike B. pertussis, were found to grow profusely on plain infusion agar and in broth. Recognizing a possible relationship to Bacillus bronchisepticus, we tested the cultures 1 The authors gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of Gertrude Hodges. For financial assistance, they are indebted to the National Research Council.

Human infections associated with Bordetella bronchiseptica.

“…Bordetella pertussis, the major cause of whooping cough, was characterized by Bordet and Gengou (18) in 1906. Bradford and Slavin (19) in 1937 and Eldering and Kendrick (52) in 1938 distinguished B. parapertussis from B. pertussis because the former grew more rapidly on primary isolation, was oxidase negative, and produced pigment on tyrosine agar. They incriminated B. parapertussis as a minor cause of whooping cough, particularly a milder form than that caused by B. pertussis.…”

Biology of Bordetella bronchiseptica.

“…The members of the genus Bordetella possess similar antigenic characteristics; each species possesses a genus-specific, heat-stable somatic (0) antigen, an antigenic heat-labile dermonecrotic toxin, and a common heat-labile agglutinogen (20,35,37,48,49,84,91). Furthermore, each species has a species-specific agglutinogen, and 10 other agglutinogens occur in all three species (128).…”

Differentiation of Alcaligenes Faecalis From Brucella Bronchisepticus by Biochemical and Nutritional Methods

“…In general it appears that strains isolated from human sources may have more complex nutritional patterns than most brucellae or A lcaligenes strains, but further study will be required with more isolates. by Eldering and Kendrick (1938) and by Evans and Maitland (1939) and to cross agglutinate with strains of Brucella by Evans (1918). The evidence in any of these series of agglutinations, cross agglutinations, and agglutination adsorptions does not appear sufficiently definite to place B. bronchisepticus in either genus.…”