Didier Raoult

Pericardial effusion as the only manifestation of infection with Francisella tularensis: a case report (2008)

Landais, Cécile, Levy, Pierre-Yves, Habib, Gilbert, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Introduction Francisella tularensis , a facultative intracellular Gram-negative bacterium, has rarely been reported as an agent of pericarditis, generally described as a complication of...

Stenotrophomonas maltophiliaprosthetic valve endocarditis: a case report (2008)

Bayle, Sophie, Rovery, Clarisse, Sbragia, Pascal, Raoult, Didier, Brouqui, Philippe

Abstract Introduction Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an environmental bacterium increasingly involved in nosocomial infections and resistant to most antibiotics. It is important to recognize and...

First Detection of Wolbachia spp., Including a New Genotype, in Sand Flies Collected in Marseille, France (2008)

Kotaro Matsumoto, Arezki Izri, Henri Dumon, Didier Raoult, Philippe Parola

Pooled sand fly samples collected in Marseille, France, in July 2005 were examined by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene of the Anaplasmataceae. Two different...

Persistent Coxiella burnetii Infection in Mice Overexpressing IL-10: An Efficient Model for Chronic Q Fever Pathogenesis (2008)

Soraya Meghari, Yassina Bechah, Christian Capo, Hubert Lepidi, Didier Raoult, Peter J. Murray, ...

Interleukin (IL)-10 increases host susceptibility to microorganisms and is involved in intracellular persistence of bacterial pathogens. IL-10 is associated with chronic Q fever, an infectious...

Nanobacteria Are Mineralo Fetuin Complexes (2008)

Didier Raoult, Michel Drancourt, Saïd Azza, Claude Nappez, Régis Guieu, Jean-Marc Rolain, ...

“Nanobacteria” are nanometer-scale spherical and ovoid particles which have spurred one of the biggest controversies in modern microbiology. Their biological nature has been severely challenged...

Comparative genomic analysis of Tropheryma whippleistrains reveals that diversity among clinical isolates is mainly related to the WiSP proteins (2007)

La, My-Van, Crapoulet, Nicolas, Barbry, Pascal, Raoult, Didier, Renesto, Patricia

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to analyze the genomic diversity of several Tropheryma whipplei strains by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization. Fifteen clinical isolates...

Detection of "Rickettsiasp. strain Uilenbergi" and "Rickettsiasp. strain Davousti" in Amblyomma tholloniticks from elephants in Africa (2007)

Matsumoto, Kotaro, Parola, Philippe, Rolain, Jean-Marc, Jeffery, Kathryn, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background To date, 6 tick-borne rickettsiae pathogenic for humans are known to occur in Africa and 4 of them were first identified in ticks before being recognized as human pathogens....

Genome Analysis of Minibacterium massiliensis Highlights the Convergent Evolution of Water-Living Bacteria (2007)

Stéphane Audic, Catherine Robert, Bernard Campagna, Hugues Parinello, Jean-Michel Claverie, Didier Raoult, ...

Filtration usually eliminates water-living bacteria. Here, we report on the complete genome sequence of Minibacterium massiliensis, a β-proteobacteria that was recovered from 0.22-μm filtered water...

Identification of rickettsial isolates at the species level using multi-spacer typing (2007)

Fournier, Pierre-Edouard, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background In order to estimate whether multi-spacer typing (MST), based on the sequencing of variable intergenic spacers, could serve for the identification of Rickettsia at the species...

Genome Analysis of Minibacterium massiliensis Highlights the Convergent Evolution of Water Living Bacteria (2007)

Stéphane Audic, Catherine Robert, Bernard Campagna, Hugues Parinello, Jean-Michel Claverie, Didier Raoult, ...

Filtration usually eliminates water living bacteria. Here we report on the complete genome sequence of Minibacterium massiliensis, a β-proteobacteria which was recovered from 0.22 µm filtered water...

Microarray for serotyping of Bartonellaspecies (2007)

Bonhomme, Cyrille J, Nappez, Claude, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are responsible for a large variety of human and animal diseases. Serological typing of Bartonella is a method that can be used for...

False positive PCR detection of Tropheryma whippleiin the saliva of healthy people (2007)

Rolain, Jean-Marc, Fenollar, Florence, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background Tropheryma whipplei , the agent of Whipple's disease (WD), has been recently isolated and the genomes of two isolates have been fully sequenced. Previous diagnosis tools for the...

From cat scratch disease to endocarditis, the possible natural history of Bartonella henselaeinfection (2007)

Gouriet, Frédérique, Lepidi, Hubert, Habib, Gilbert, Collart, Frédéric, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background Most patients with infectious endocarditis (IE) due to Bartonella henselae have a history of exposure to cats and pre-existing heart valve lesions. To date, none of the reported...

Reductive Genome Evolution from the Mother of Rickettsia (2007)

Guillaume Blanc, Hiroyuki Ogata, Catherine Robert, Stéphane Audic, Karsten Suhre, Guy Vestris, ...

The Rickettsia genus is a group of obligate intracellular α-proteobacteria representing a paradigm of reductive evolution. Here, we investigate the evolutionary processes that shaped the genomes of...

HIV-2 Protease resistance defined in yeast cells (2006)

M'Barek, Najoua, Audoly, Gilles, Raoult, Didier, Gluschankof, Pablo

Abstract Background Inhibitors of the HIV-1 Protease currently used in therapeutic protocols, have been found to inhibit, although at higher concentrations, the HIV-2 encoded enzyme homologue....

Genome Sequence of Rickettsia bellii Illuminates the Role of Amoebae in Gene Exchanges between Intracellular Pathogens (2006)

Hiroyuki Ogata, Bernard La Scola, Stéphane Audic, Patricia Renesto, Guillaume Blanc, Catherine Robert, ...

The recently sequenced Rickettsia felis genome revealed an unexpected plasmid carrying several genes usually associated with DNA transfer, suggesting that ancestral rickettsiae might have been...

Genome sequence of Rickettsia bellii Illuminates the Role of Ancestral Protozoa in Gene Exchanges Between Intracellular Pathogens (2006)

Hiroyuki Ogata, Bernard La Scola, Stéphane Audic, Patricia Renesto, Guillaume Blanc, Catherine Robert, ...

Recently sequenced Rickettsia felis genome revealed an unexpected plasmid carrying several genes usually associated with DNA transfer, suggesting that ancestral rickettsiae might have been endowed...

SVARAP and aSVARAP: simple tools for quantitative analysis of nucleotide and amino acid variability and primer selection for clinical microbiology (2006)

Colson, Philippe, Tamalet, Catherine, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background Simple computerized methods that analyse variability along alignments of nucleotide or amino acid sequences can be very useful in a clinical microbiology laboratory for two main...

Sca1, a previously undescribed paralog from autotransporter protein-encoding genes in Rickettsiaspecies (2006)

Ngwamidiba, Maxime, Blanc, Guillaume, Raoult, Didier, Fournier, Pierre-Edouard

Abstract Background Among the 17 genes encoding autotransporter proteins of the "surface cell antigen" ( sca ) family in the currently sequenced Rickettsia genomes, ompA , sca 5 ( ompB ) and sca 4...

Comparative Genomics of Multidrug Resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii (2006)

Pierre-Edouard Fournier, David Vallenet, Valérie Barbe, Stéphane Audic, Hiroyuki Ogata, Laurent Poirel, ...

Acinetobacter baumannii is a species of nonfermentative gram-negative bacteria commonly found in water and soil. This organism was susceptible to most antibiotics in the 1970s. It has now become a...

Evidence for louse-transmitted diseases in soldiers of Napoleon's grand army in Vilnius (2006)

Raoult, Didier, Dutour, Olivier, Jankauskas, Rimantas, Houhamdi, L., Fournier, P.E., Ardagna, Yann, ...

Background. Many soldiers in Napoleon's Grand Army died of infectious diseases during its retreat from Russia. Because soldiers were commonly infested with body lice, it has been speculated that...

Coxiella burnetiivascular graft infection (2005)

Senn, Laurence, Franciolli, Mario, Raoult, Didier, Moulin, Alexandre, Von Segesser, Ludwig, Calandra, Thierry, ...

Abstract Background Coxiella burnetii , the causative agent of Q fever, may cause culture-negative vascular graft infections. Very few cases of C. burnetii infection of a vascular graft have been...

Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Pseudomonas luteola (2005)

Casalta, Jean-Paul, Fournier, Pierre-Edouard, Habib, Gilbert, Riberi, Alberto, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background Pseudomonas luteola has been recognized as an uncommon cause of bacteremia and of infections in patients with underlying medical disorders Case presentation We isolated P. luteola...

The Genome Sequence of Rickettsia felis Identifies the First Putative Conjugative Plasmid in an Obligate Intracellular Parasite (2005)

Hiroyuki Ogata, Patricia Renesto, Stéphane Audic, Catherine Robert, Guillaume Blanc, Pierre-Edouard Fournier, ...

Rickettsia felis is an obligate intracellular bacterium that lives in fleas and causes spotted fever in humans. Its genome sequence provides the first evidence that such bacteria can undergo...

The Genome Sequence of Rickettsia felis Identifies the First Putative Conjugative Plasmid in an Obligate Intracellular Parasite (2005)

Hiroyuki Ogata, Patricia Renesto, Stéphane Audic, Catherine Robert, Guillaume Blanc, Pierre-Edouard Fournier, ...

We sequenced the genome of Rickettsia felis, a flea-associated obligate intracellular α-proteobacterium causing spotted fever in humans. Besides a circular chromosome of 1,485,148 bp, R. felis...

Proposal to create subspecies of Rickettsia conoriibased on multi-locus sequence typing and an emended description of Rickettsia conorii (2005)

Zhu, Yong, Fournier, Pierre-Edouard, Eremeeva, Marina, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background Rickettsiae closely related to the Malish strain, the reference Rickettsia conorii strain, include Indian tick typhus rickettsia (ITTR), Israeli spotted fever rickettsia (ISFR),...

A new example of viral intein in Mimivirus (2005)

Ogata, Hiroyuki, Raoult, Didier, Claverie, Jean-Michel

Abstract Background Inteins are "protein introns" that remove themselves from their host proteins through an autocatalytic protein-splicing. After their discovery, inteins have been quickly...

Multi-pathogens sequence containing plasmids as positive controls for universal detection of potential agents of bioterrorism (2004)

Charrel, Remy N, La Scola, Bernard, Raoult, Didier

Abstract Background The limited circulation of many of the agents that are likely to be used in a bioterrorism attack precludes the ready availability of positive controls. This means that only...

Molecular identification by “suicide PCR” of Yersinia pestis as the agent of Medieval Black Death

Raoult, Didier, Aboudharam, Gérard, Crubézy, Eric, Larrouy, Georges, Ludes, Bertrand, Drancourt, Michel

Medieval Black Death is believed to have killed up to one-third of the Western European population during the 14th century. It was identified as plague at this time, but recently the causative...

Detection of 400-year-old Yersinia pestis DNA in human dental pulp: An approach to the diagnosis of ancient septicemia

Drancourt, Michel, Aboudharam, Gérard, Signoli, Michel, Dutour, Olivier, Raoult, Didier

Ancient septicemic plague epidemics were reported to have killed millions of people for 2 millenniums. However, confident diagnosis of ancient septicemia solely on the basis of historical clinical...

Body Lice as Tools for Diagnosis and Surveillance of Reemerging Diseases

Roux, Veronique, Raoult, Didier

Body lice are vectors of three bacteria which cause human disease: Rickettsia prowazekii, the agent of epidemic typhus; Bartonella quintana, the agent of trench fever; and Borrelia recurrentis, the...

Isolation of Legionella pneumophila by Centrifugation of Shell Vial Cell Cultures from Multiple Liver and Lung Abscesses

La Scola, Bernard, Michel, Gérard, Raoult, Didier

A 7-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and was treated with allogenic cord blood transplantation. At day 30 after graft, she developed a fever and multiple...

Culture of Bartonella quintana and Bartonella henselae from Human Samples: a 5-Year Experience (1993 to 1998)

La Scola, Bernard, Raoult, Didier

Bartonella quintana and Bartonella henselae are fastidious gram-negative bacteria responsible for bacillary angiomatosis, trench fever, cat scratch disease, and endocarditis. During a 5-year period,...

Third Human Isolate of a Desulfovibrio sp. Identical to the Provisionally Named Desulfovibrio fairfieldensis

La Scola, Bernard, Raoult, Didier

Desulfovibrio fairfieldensis was isolated from the urine sample of a patient with a urinary tract infection and meningoencephalitis. It was identified by 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing.

Isolation of Rickettsia prowazekii from Blood by Shell Vial Cell Culture

Birg, Marie-Laure, La Scola, Bernard, Roux, Véronique, Brouqui, Philippe, Raoult, Didier

A blood sample from a patient who returned from Algeria with a fever inoculated on human embryonic lung fibroblasts by the shell vial cell culture technique led to the recovery of Rickettsia...

Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii as an Agent of Afebrile Blood Culture-Negative Endocarditis in a Human

Roux, Véronique, Eykyn, Susannah J., Wyllie, Sarah, Raoult, Didier

We report a case of endocarditis in a human infected with Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, which causes bacteremia and endocarditis in dogs. Bacterial identification was established by PCR...

rpoB Gene Analysis as a Novel Strategy for Identification of Spirochetes from the Genera Borrelia, Treponema, and Leptospira

Renesto, Patricia, Lorvellec-Guillon, Katell, Drancourt, Michel, Raoult, Didier

Spirochetes are emerging pathogens for which culture and identification are partly unresolved. In fact, 16S rRNA-based sequencing is by far the most widely used PCR methodology that is able to detect...

16S Ribosomal DNA Sequence Analysis of a Large Collection of Environmental and Clinical Unidentifiable Bacterial Isolates

Drancourt, Michel, Bollet, Claude, Carlioz, Antoine, Martelin, Rolland, Gayral, Jean-Pierre, Raoult, Didier

Some bacteria are difficult to identify with phenotypic identification schemes commonly used outside reference laboratories. 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA)-based identification of bacteria potentially...

Detection of Ehrlichia platys DNA in Brown Dog Ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) in Okinawa Island, Japan

Inokuma, Hisashi, Raoult, Didier, Brouqui, Philippe

Thirty-two Rhipicephalus sanguineus females collected from eight free-roaming dogs in Okinawa Island, Japan, were examined for ehrlichial DNA by 16S rRNA-based PCR and subsequent sequencing. Partial...

Isolation of Legionella anisa Using an Amoebic Coculture Procedure

La Scola, Bernard, Mezi, Lyazid, Weiller, P. J., Raoult, Didier

Conventional diagnostic tests for legionellosis were negative for a 61-year-old immunocompromised man with pneumonia. However, coculture of a sputum sample with Acanthamoeba polyphaga amoebae led to...

Use of rpoB Gene Analysis for Detection and Identification of Bartonella Species

Renesto, Patricia, Gouvernet, Joanny, Drancourt, Michel, Roux, Veronique, Raoult, Didier

Identification of Bartonella species is of increasing importance as the number of infections in which these bacteria are involved increases. To date, these gram-negative bacilli have been identified...

Detection and Culture of Bartonella quintana, Serratia marcescens, and Acinetobacter spp. from Decontaminated Human Body Lice

La Scola, Bernard, Fournier, Pierre-Edouard, Brouqui, Philippe, Raoult, Didier

As part of a survey for trench fever among homeless people in Marseilles, France, we attempted isolation of Bartonella quintana from body lice. A decontamination protocol of immersion in 70% ethanol...

rpoB Sequence Analysis of Cultured Tropheryma whippelii

Drancourt, Michel, Carlioz, Antoine, Raoult, Didier

Until recently no isolate of Tropheryma whippelii was available, and therefore genetic studies were limited to those based on PCR amplification of conserved genes. In this study we determined the...

16S/23S rRNA Intergenic Spacer Regions for Phylogenetic Analysis, Identification, and Subtyping of Bartonella Species

Houpikian, Pierre, Raoult, Didier

Species of the genus Bartonella are currently recognized in growing numbers and are involved in an increasing variety of human diseases, mainly trench fever, Carrion's disease, bacillary...

Citrate Synthase Gene Sequence: a New Tool for Phylogenetic Analysis and Identification of Ehrlichia

Inokuma, Hisashi, Brouqui, Philippe, Drancourt, Michel, Raoult, Didier

The sequence of the citrate synthase gene (gltA) of 13 ehrlichial species (Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia canis, Ehrlichia muris, an Ehrlichia species recently detected from Ixodes ovatus, Cowdria...

In Vitro Susceptibilities of Four Bartonella bacilliformis Strains to 30 Antibiotic Compounds

Sobraquès, Mireille, Maurin, Max, Birtles, Richard J., Raoult, Didier

We have evaluated for the first time in vitro antibiotic susceptibilities of four human strains of Bartonella bacilliformis, the agent of Carrion’s disease. Our results show that B. bacilliformis,...

Characterization of Mutations in the rpoB Gene in Naturally Rifampin-Resistant Rickettsia Species

Drancourt, Michel, Raoult, Didier

Rickettsiae are gram-negative, obligately intracellular bacteria responsible for arthropod-borne spotted fevers and typhus. Experimental studies have delineated a cluster of naturally...

Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal Activities of Moxifloxacin against Coxiella burnetii

Rolain, Jean-Marc, Maurin, Max, Raoult, Didier

The in vitro activity of moxifloxacin against Coxiella burnetii was compared to those of pefloxacin, ofloxacin, and doxycycline. MICs of moxifloxacin ranged from 0.5 to 1 μg/ml for the Nine Mile,...

Predominant Immunoglobulin A Response to Phase II Antigen of Coxiella burnetii in Acute Q Fever

Fournier, Pierre-Edouard, Raoult, Didier

Diagnosis of acute Q fever is usually confirmed by serology, on the basis of anti-phase II antigen immunoglobulin M (IgM) titers of ≥1:50 and IgG titers of ≥1:200. Phase I antibodies, especially...

Diagnosis of Rickettsial Diseases Using Samples Dried on Blotting Paper

Fenollar, Florence, Raoult, Didier

The use of filter paper is an inexpensive and convenient method for collecting, storing, and transporting blood samples for serological studies. In addition, samples occupy little space and can be...

Species-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies for Rapid Identification of Bartonella quintana

Liang, Zhongxing, Raoult, Didier

Seven species-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to Bartonella quintana were produced and characterized. The MAbs were of the immunoglobulin G class and reacted only with 13 B. quintana strains in...

Serological Differentiation of Murine Typhus and Epidemic Typhus Using Cross-Adsorption and Western Blotting

La Scola, Bernard, Rydkina, Lena, Ndihokubwayo, Jean-Bosco, Vene, Sirkka, Raoult, Didier

Differentiation of murine typhus due to Rickettsia typhi and epidemic typhus due to Rickettsia prowazekii is critical epidemiologically but difficult serologically. Using serological,...

Differentiation of Bartonella Species by a Microimmunofluorescence Assay, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, and Western Immunoblotting

Liang, Zhongxing, Raoult, Didier

Bartonella species can be differentiated by microimmunofluorescence assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and immunoblotting with murine polyclonal antisera to...

Analysis of the 16S rRNA Gene Sequence of Anaplasma centrale and Its Phylogenetic Relatedness to Other Ehrlichiae

Inokuma, Hisashi, Terada, Yutaka, Kamio, Tugihiko, Raoult, Didier, Brouqui, Philippe

The nucleotide sequence of the Anaplasma centrale 16S rRNA gene was determined and compared with the sequences of ehrlichial bacteria. The sequence of A. centrale was closely related to Anaplasma...

Production of Bartonella Genus-Specific Monoclonal Antibodies

Liang, Zhongxing, La Scola, Bernard, Lepidi, Hubert, Raoult, Didier

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which react with heat-resistant proteins with molecular masses of 32 to 33 kDa of 14 different Bartonella species were produced. These antibodies did not react with...

Increases in the Levels of Coxiella burnetii-Specific Immunoglobulin G1 and G3 Antibodies in Acute Q Fever and Chronic Q Fever

Capo, Christian, Iorgulescu, Ioana, Mutillod, Maryse, Mege, Jean-Louis, Raoult, Didier

A detailed analysis of the humoral response to Coxiella burnetii may provide insight into the pathogenesis of Q fever, a zoonosis caused by C. burnetii. The subclasses of C. burnetii-specific...

Coxiella burnetii Survives in Monocytes from Patients with Q Fever Endocarditis: Involvement of Tumor Necrosis Factor

Dellacasagrande, Jérôme, Ghigo, Eric, Capo, Christian, Raoult, Didier, Mege, Jean-Louis

Endocarditis is the most frequent form of chronic Q fever, an infectious disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. As this obligate intracellular bacterium inhabits monocytes and macrophages, we wondered...

Reduced Transendothelial Migration of Monocytes Infected by Coxiella burnetii

Dellacasagrande, Jérôme, Moulin, Pierre A., Guilianelli, Catherine, Capo, Christian, Raoult, Didier, Grau, Georges E., ...

The migratory properties of THP1 monocytes infected by Coxiella burnetii were determined in a transmigration assay across a human microvascular endothelial cell monolayer. Transendothelial migration...

Experimental Model of Human Body Louse Infection Using Green Fluorescent Protein-Expressing Bartonella quintana

Fournier, Pierre-Edouard, Minnick, Michael F., Lepidi, Hubert, Salvo, Eric, Raoult, Didier

A laboratory colony of human body lice was experimentally infected by feeding on rabbits made artificially bacteremic with a green fluorescent protein-expressing Bartonella quintana. B. quintana was...

Interleukin-10 Stimulates Coxiella burnetii Replication in Human Monocytes through Tumor Necrosis Factor Down-Modulation: Role in Microbicidal Defect of Q Fever

Ghigo, Eric, Capo, Christian, Raoult, Didier, Mege, Jean-Louis

Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the agent of Q fever. The chronic form of the disease is associated with the overproduction of interleukin-10 and deficient C. burnetii...

Activation of Protein Tyrosine Kinases by Coxiella burnetii: Role in Actin Cytoskeleton Reorganization and Bacterial Phagocytosis

Meconi, Sonia, Capo, Christian, Remacle-Bonnet, Maryse, Pommier, Gilbert, Raoult, Didier, Mege, Jean-Louis

Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, is an obligate intracellular microorganism that grows in monocytes/macrophages. The internalization of virulent organisms by monocytes is lower than that of...

αvβ3 Integrin and Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide Are Involved in Coxiella burnetii-Stimulated Production of Tumor Necrosis Factor by Human Monocytes

Dellacasagrande, Jérôme, Ghigo, Eric, Machergui-El , Sarah, Toman, Rudolf, Raoult, Didier, ...

Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, enters human monocytes through αvβ3 integrin and survives inside host cells. In addition, C. burnetii stimulates the synthesis of inflammatory cytokines...

Molecular Identification of Gemella Species from Three Patients with Endocarditis

La Scola, Bernard, Raoult, Didier

Gemella morbillorum and Gemella haemolysans are opportunistic pathogens which cause endocarditis and other severe infections. We report on three patients with endocarditis, one with endocarditis...

Taxonomic Relationships among Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae as Revealed by Antigenic Analysis with Monoclonal Antibodies

Xu, Wenbin, Raoult, Didier

The spotted fever group (SFG) is made up of more than 20 different rickettsial species and strains. Study of the taxonomic relationships among the group has been attempted by phenotypic, genotypic,...