Bordetella parapertussis

Bordetella parapertussis is a small Gram-negative bacterium of the genus Bordetella which is adapted to colonise the mammalian respiratory tract. Pertussis caused by B. parapertussis manifests with similar symptoms to B. pertussis-derived disease but tends to be generally less severe.

Two lineages of B. parapertussis have been described. The first infects humans and is responsible for a minority of cases of the disease pertussis (also known as whooping cough). The second, ovine, lineage causes chronic non-progressive pneumonia in sheep. Both lineages are thought to have evolved from a B. bronchiseptica-like ancestor. This disease can be symptomatic or asymptomatic and may predispose hosts to secondary infection.