Bordetella pertussis on bordetella selective medium (charcoal-horse blood agar with cefalexin). Beef extract, peptone, and nicotinic acid provide essential nutrients for the growth of Bordetella spp. Bordetella pertussis in particular, requires the addition of charcoal and horse blood (whole, 10%) to neutralize the growth-inhibiting effects. Colony morphology: small, shiny, round colonies, mercury-silver in color.

B. pertussis is identified by slow growth in primoculture (usually after 2 days), colony morphology, oxidase reaction, and slide agglutination with specific antisera.

Cultivation 5 days, 35 °C in an aerobic atmosphere. It is important that plates remain moist during incubation.