EXPERIMENTAL WHOOPING COUGH OF NONHUMAN PRIMATE

Abstract

Despite considerable success in study of Bordetella pertussis virulence factors, pathogenesis of whooping cough, duration of B.pertussis bacteria persistence, types and mechanisms of immune response are still keep underinvestigated. It can be explained by the absence of adequate experimental animal model for pertussis study. Our study estimates clinical and laboratory parameters of whooping cough in non-human primates of the Old World in the process of intranasal infection by virulent B.pertussis bacteria. Also the duration of B.pertussis bacteria persistence in animals was investigated. 14 animal units of 4 species of non-human primates of the Old World were used for intranasal infection. The examination of infect animals included: visual exploration of nasopharynx, thermometry, clinical and biochemical blood analyses, identification of B.pertussis, using microbiologic and molecular genetic analyses, estimation of innate and adoptive immune factors.  The development of infectious process was accompanied by generation of B.pertussis bacteria, catarrhal inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa, leucocytosis, hypoglycemia specific for pertussis, and activation of innate and adaptive immunity for all primates regardless of specie were seen. While repeated experimental infection in primates single bacterial colonies were registered during only first week after challenge. It occurs like the absence of inflammation of nasopharyngeal mucosa and the lack of laboratory marks of whooping cough, recorded after first challenge. The evident booster effect of humoral immunity was observed. As a model for investigation of B. pertussis bacteria persistence and immune response against whooping cough we suggest the usage of rhesus macaque as more available to experiments.