Pertussis toxin "Bordetella" is that "B. pertussis" produces PT and the other species do not. "Bordetella parapertussis" shows the most similarity to "B. pertussis" and was therefore used for research determining the role of PT in causing the typical symptoms of whooping cough. Rat studies showed the development of paroxysmal coughing, a characteristic for whooping cough, occurred in rats infected with "B. pertussis". Rats infected with "B. parapertussis" or a PT-deficient mutant of "B. pertussis" did not show this symptom; neither of these two strains produced PT. A large group of bacterial exotoxins are referred to as "A/B toxins", in essence because
Aleutian disease Aleutian disease Aleutian disease, also known as mink plasmacytosis, is a disease which causes spontaneous abortion and death in minks and ferrets. It is caused by "Carnivore amdoparvovirus 1" (also known as "Aleution disease virus", ADV), a highly contagious parvovirus in the genus "Amdoparvovirus". The virus has been found as a natural infection in the "Mustelidae" family within mink, ferrets, otters, polecats, stone and pine martens and within other varying carnivores such as skunks, genets, foxes and raccoons. This is most commonly explained as because they all share resources and habitats. Aleutian Disease was first recognized in ranch-raised mink in