Bordetella is the causative agent of pertussis or whooping cough. It is almost twenty years since the last book totally devoted to Bordetella was published. Since then, research on Bordetella has made extensive use of molecular biology approaches, including genomics and post-genomics, and an enormous amount of new information has become available. Worldwide, pertussis still kills between 200,000 and 400,000 children each year, and the disease still ranks 6th among the causes of death due to infection. A more profound molecular understanding of Bordetella may ultimately help to better control the disease.

This book gathers the contributions of the world's most knowledgeable investigators on the various aspects of Bordetella molecular biology. The chapters cover comparative genomics, molecular epidemiology, genetic regulation, molecular characterization of important virulence factors, including adhesins, toxins, secretion systems, Bordetella phages, molecular aspects of bacterial physiology, and applications in biotechnology and vaccine research.