Whooping cough bacterium evolving in Australia, research shows
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 - 02:52
in Biology & Nature
The bacterium that causes whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, has changed in Australia -- most likely in response to the vaccine used to prevent the disease -- with a possible reduced effectiveness of the vaccine as a result. A team of researchers analyzed strains of Bordetella pertussis from across Australia and found that many strains no longer produce a key surface protein called pertactin.