Publications by authors named "William E Smallridge"
Despite widespread vaccination, pertussis rates are rising in industrialized countries and remain high worldwide. With no specific therapeutics to treat disease, pertussis continues to cause considerable infant morbidity and mortality. The pertussis toxin is a major contributor to disease, responsible for local and systemic effects including leukocytosis and immunosuppression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Type Six Secretion System (T6SS) is required for Bordetella bronchiseptica cytotoxicity, cytokine modulation, infection, and persistence. However, one-third of recently sequenced Bordetella bronchiseptica strains of the predominantly human-associated Complex IV have lost their T6SS through gene deletion or degradation. Since most human B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Bordetella bronchiseptica can infect both mammals and birds.
- The study presents genome sequences from 53 different isolates of the bacteria found in various land and water animals.
- This research will help scientists learn more about how the bacteria evolve, adapt to different hosts, and its ability to cause disease.
Article Synopsis
- An emerging pathogen, Bordetella holmesii, is being linked to more cases resembling pertussis, or whooping cough.
- Analysis of the genomes from 9 clinical isolates reveals that they are genetically similar and lack the virulence factors typically seen in Bordetella pertussis.
- The genomic information can be used to develop new markers for identifying B. holmesii.
Background: Vaccine development has largely focused on the ability of vaccines to reduce disease in individual hosts, with less attention to assessing the vaccine's effects on transmission between hosts. Current acellular vaccines against Bordetella pertussis are effective in preventing severe disease but have little effect on less severe coughing illness that can mediate transmission.
Methods: Using mice that are natural host's of Bordetella bronchiseptica, we determined the effects of vaccination on shedding and transmission of this pathogen.