Bordetella bronchiseptica persists in the nasal cavities of mice and triggers early delivery of dendritic cells in the lymph nodes draining the lower and upper respiratory tract.

Early after the intranasal instillation of Bordetella bronchiseptica into mice, not only are mature dendritic leukocytes recovered from lung parenchyma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid but their numbers are also increased in the mediastinal lymph nodes and the nasal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Later during the infectious process, the bacteria persist mainly in the nasal cavity.