Bordetella bronchiseptica is a small,
Gram-negative, rod-shaped
bacterium of the genus
Bordetella. It can cause infectious
bronchitis in dogs and other animals, but rarely infects humans. Closely related to
B. pertussis—the obligate human
pathogen that causes
pertussis (whooping cough);
B. bronchiseptica can persist in the environment for extended periods.