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| Clinical Background: | B. pertussis is highly contagious. In children, it is the etiologic agent of "whooping cough", and can cause respiratory failure if untreated. Infected adults usually experience milder symptoms and are often not diagnosed or treated. They are therefore thought to be an important reservoir for B. pertussis in the community. During infection of the respiratory tract, B. pertussis produces several toxins including the pertussis toxin (PT), which constitutes its main virulence factor. | |||||||||||||||||||
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