VMC 311, Veterinary Bacteriology, Notes compiled by Dr.

Gaurav Singhal

Bordetella

Bordetella bronchiseptica infection is found in dogs. It is transmitted from

animal to animal by contact and contaminated feed and water. The organism
is short, pleomorphic rods, 0.5 micron to 1 micron in size, occurs singly or in
pairs and in chains when grown in fluid media. It is motile by means of
peritrichous flagella and does not produce spores and capsule. It is gram
negative and stained by the usual dyes. It grows best under aerobic
conditions, at a temperature of 37 degree C and pH of 7.0 to 7.2. It requires
a medium which is enriched with animal tissues or plasma. The organism is
killed by 55 degree C in 20 minutes. It is not resistant to light, dessication,
common disinfectants and is not destroyed by freezing.

It is unable to ferment and of the carbohydrate. A deep blue ring appears in

litmus milk after 24 hours of incubation. The organism does not form Indol or
Hydrogen sulphide. It is urease positive and is able to utilize citrate as source
of Carbon. It is catalase positive.

B. bronchiseptica is the secondary agent in canine distemper and the fatality

of the infection is largely attributed to the pneumonia it causes. For its
diagnosis, this microorganism must be isolated and identified. MacConkey’s
agar with the addition of one percent dextrose is the satisfactory medium for
its primary isolation.

Bordetella pertussis cause whooping cough which is characterized by

trachea-bronchitis and toxaemia in children. Most adults have developed
immunity due to previous exposure. The organism is small coccobacillus and
is found in great numbers in the exudates during early stages of infection.
The cell wall of the bacterium contains a heat-stable toxin, a protective
antigen and a histamine sensitizing factor.