Bj\ornstad 2005, Evolution and Emergence of Bordetella in Humans

Bordetella is the bacteria responsible for whooping cough, one of the most contagious directly transmitted human pathogens (according to IDH:DC). Whooping cough is causes by one of two sub-species, B. pertussis or B. parapertussis

The original bacteria, B. bronchiseptica infects a wide range of mamals, and can persist for life in the nasal cavity of its host. It is not particularily virulent nor pathenogetic. The whooping cough species, however, are both 1) strongly pathenogetic, and 2) only infect transiently (latent 7-10 days, active ~3 weeks).

The authors posit this as an example of Grenfell's (2001) hypothesis on the invasion/persistence tradeoff.

Grenfell, B. T. (2001) Dynamics and epidemiological impact of microparasites. In New challenges to health: the threat of virus infection (ed. G. l. Smith, W. L. Irving, J. W. McCauley & D. J. Rowlands), pp. 33-52. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Note that Grenfell and Bj\ornstad are collaborators