B. pertussis has a number of virulent gene factors, such as pertussis toxin (the microbe uses this to attach itself to the host tracheal epithelium), filamentous hemagglutinin (a structure that is on the surface of the bacteria that aids in adherence to the host), fimbrial agglutinogens (another structure that aids in attachment) and adenylate cyclase (is a toxin secreted by the microbe to reduce the phagocytic activity of the host) (4).