The Phases of<i>Haemophilus pertussis</i>

Abstract

Haemophilus pertussis is a uniform species, without fixed varieties or “types.” After isolation from the human subject it tends to pass through a series of antigenically distinct phases, of which the first two are toxic to guinea-pigs, whereas the last two are relatively harmless. The former probably correspond to the smooth, the latter to the rough phase of other bacteria. The phase-changes are, up to a point, reversible. Experiments on guinea-pigs have produced some evidence that the toxic Phase I is the best and perhaps the only antigen for the production of active immunity in guinea-pigs.