8th International Symposium - Saga of the Genus Bordetella, 1906-2006

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Bordetella pertussis (at that time called Haemophilus pertussis) was cultured for the first time in 1906, by Bordet and Gengou, at the Institute Pasteur, and the meeting described in this proposal will include celebration of the centennial for that important event. Other early members of the genus, B. bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis, were isolated in 1912 and 1938, respectively. The incidence of pertussis is, however, now increasing in the US and other parts of the world, despite active immunization programs with wide coverage. For example, the number of reported cases in the US was almost 12,000 in 2003, an increase of six-fold since 1980 and there were 18,957 cases reported to the CDC in 2004. This is attributable, at least in part, to increases in recognition and occurrence of adolescent and adult pertussis. Beyond the original bordetellae, B. avium is an important cause of respiratory infections in birds and is responsible for tremendous economic losses for the poultry industry. In addition, several new species within the genus, such as B. hinzii, B. holmesii, B. trematum and B. petrii, are not well characterized with regard to spectrum of disease, virulence factors or pathogenesis. The genomes for B. pertussis, B. parapertussis, B. bronchiseptica and B. avium have been sequenced and the data published. This proposal is requesting support for students and post-doctoral fellows to attend the Eighth International Symposium: Saga of the Genus Bordetella, to be held in November 2006 at the Institute Pasteur, Paris. The bordetella community is an especially open and collaborative collection of scientists and it is important to assure and support attendance of trainees at meetings such as this.