Kukutxeztula: «gainditutako» gaitz baten itzulera

Abstract

Respiratory infections cause high mortality rates throughout the world, being the COVID-19 virus the clearest example in recent years. However, there are other several pathogens not fully controlled and in this review we will focus on whooping cough, the sickness caused by the pathogenic bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Whooping cough is a severe and contagious respiratory infection that is transmitted by coming into contact with local secretions or with saliva drops. Despite the symptoms are not of special risks for adults (continuous episodes of cough, difficulty breathing, or fever), it can cause death especially in children younger than one year of age. Patients who have not overcome cough at an early stage may develop complications such as secondary pneumonia, which is the main cause of most who die with whooping cough. Although since the development of the first vaccine it has been considered to be under control, whooping cough has caused significant damage especially in developing countries. Surprisingly, it has also an impact on developed countries and since 2011 the epidemic has spread in North America and Western Europe. This review presents an update on whooping cough, focusing on the different infective mechanisms used by B. pertussis. Understanding of the molecular basis of these mechanisms may contribute to the understanding of other cellular processes, the development of new anti-disease drugs or the development of new molecular biology instruments.