What is Pertussis Toxin? A Guide to Pertussis Toxin Diseases

What do you think about pertussis toxin? We only know that Bordetella pertussis is a small oval rod-shaped bacillus. As for what pertussis toxin is, we certainly don’t know. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. Let me give you some popular science. In addition, pertussis toxin can be prevented by vaccination.

Children at a certain age, generally under national regulations, have certain vaccinations, of course, some may be rare, but we should not ignore them, we should still vaccinate. Before talking about what is pertussis toxin, I first promote those friends who don't know what pertussis toxin is.

Bordetella pertussis is an oval short rod without flagella and spores. It is Gram-negative. The bipolar metachromatic granules can be stained with toluidine blue. It is a special aerobic organism and has high nutritional requirements when it is first isolated and cultured. It needs potato blood glycerol agar medium to grow. After 2-3 days of culture at 37°C, small, round, smooth, raised, silver-gray, opaque colonies can be seen, surrounded by a fuzzy hemolytic ring. The liquid culture is uniformly turbid with a small amount of sticky precipitation.

Bordetella pertussis can cause whooping cough. Patients, especially those with mild atypical symptoms, are important sources of infection for this disease. It is mainly transmitted through droplets. The incidence rate of susceptible children after contact with patients is close to 90%, and the mortality rate of children under one year old is high. The incubation period of whooping cough is 1 to 2 weeks. In the early stage (catarrhal stage), there is only a mild cough. At this time, the bacteria multiply in large numbers on the tracheal and bronchial mucosa, and are discharged with droplets, which is the most contagious. After 1 to 2 weeks, paroxysmal spasmodic coughs (spasmodic stage) occur. At this time, the bacteria release toxins, causing disordered movement of the cilia of the mucosal epithelial cells, and a large amount of viscous secretions cannot be discharged, stimulating the sensors in the mucosa to produce strong spasmodic coughs, showing a special high-pitched chicken roar. Mucus plug formation can also block small bronchi, leading to atelectasis, dyspnea and cyanosis, and can also be accompanied by vomiting and convulsions. After 4 to 6 weeks, it gradually enters the recovery period, the paroxysmal cough is alleviated, and tends to heal, but 1 to 10% of patients are prone to secondary infections such as hemolytic streptococci and influenza bacilli. The disease lasts a long time, hence the name whooping cough. During the pathogenic process, Bordetella pertussis always stays on the surface of ciliated epithelial cells and does not enter the blood.

For the prevention of this disease, we often focus on autoimmunity. In China, the DPT vaccine is often used, and the target of vaccination is children under one year old. After vaccination, the morbidity and mortality rates can be significantly reduced. However, the currently used dead bacteria vaccine has certain side effects, and it is necessary to further improve its safety and immunogenicity. At the same time, we can also use erythromycin, aminonaphthalene penicillin, etc.

Therefore, expectant fathers and mothers should pay attention to the fact that when the child is just born, that is, under one year old, the above vaccines should be received to prevent the child from producing 100-day cough bacillus toxin, which will damage the child's health. Don't let the palm of your home be harmed by the disease, so parents, please remember to take your children to get vaccinated.