A. Bahmanjeh - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinnary, Islamic Azad University of Karaj, Karaj, Iran
P. Khaki - Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran
S. Moradi Bidhendi - Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran
R. Hosseinpour - Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran
M. Noofeli - Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran

Considering the circulation of Bordetella pertussis clinical strains among populations with high vaccination coverage, it is necessary to have a proper understanding of this bacterium causing whooping cough. Various techniques, which are available for studying B. pertussis, can facilitate a proper comparison between different populations. We genotypically analyzed a collection of two vaccine strains used for the production of killed pertussis vaccine during ۲۰۰۰-۲۰۱۴ at Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran. Ten clinical and two reference (Tohama ۱ and ۱۸۳۲۳) strains were used by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The genetic profiles of the vaccine master and working seeds showed no significant changes in the frequency of fingerprint types in the vaccine strains; also, the homogeneity of the profiles was demonstrated. However, the clinical isolates showed heterogeneity in the genetic profiles. In addition, serotyping was performed with monoclonal antisera to agglutinogens ۲ and ۳. Analysis of the fimbriae showed that all ten clinical strains expressed Fim۳.

Bordetella pertussis, DNA fingerprints, PFGE, XbaI