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Biomedical subjects

Philippe Brouqui

Publications and source records attributed to Philippe Brouqui.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Distribution of 'Ehrlichia walkeri' in Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) from the northern part of Italy.

The prevalence of 'Ehrlichia walkeri' in Ixodes ricinus in northern Italy was studied. A total of 456 ticks were collected from seven places around Belluno, and 292 living ticks were examined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nineteen ticks were positive for gltA of 'E. walkeri', and the prevalence rate for each place ranged from 0 to 12.8%. The disparity of prevalence rates among areas examined suggests that 'E. walkeri' is not widespread in ticks and requires an animal host for its maintenance in nature.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Ectoparasitism and vector-borne diseases in 930 homeless people from Marseilles.

Homeless people are particularly exposed to ectoparasites, but their exposure to arthropod-borne diseases has not been evaluated systematically. A medical team of 27 persons (7 nurses, 6 infectious disease residents or fellows, 2 dermatologists, and 12 infectious disease specialists) visited the 2 shelters in Marseilles, France, for 4 consecutive years. Homeless volunteers were interviewed, examined, and received care; and blood was sampled for cell counts and detection of bacteremia, antibodies to louse-borne (Rickettsia prowazekii, Bartonella quintana, and Borrelia recurrentis), flea-borne (R. typhi, R. felis), mite-borne (R. akari), and tick-borne (R. conorii) bacterial agents. We selected sex- and age-adjusted controls among healthy blood donors. Over 4 years, 930 homeless people were enrolled. Lice were found in 22% and were associated with hypereosinophilia (odds ratio, 5.7; 95% confidence intervals, 1.46-22.15). Twenty-seven patients (3%) with scabies were treated with ivermectin. Bartonella quintana was isolated from blood culture in 50 patients (5.3%), 36 of whom were treated effectively. The number of bacteremic patient increased from 3.4% to 8.4% (p = 0.02) over the 4 years of the study. We detected a higher seroprevalence to Borrelia recurrentis, R. conorii, and R. prowazekii antibodies in the homeless. Our study shows a high prevalence of louse-borne infections in the homeless and a high degree of exposure to tick-borne diseases and scabies. Despite effective treatment for Bartonella quintana bacteremia and the efforts made to delouse this population, Bartonella quintana remains endemic, and we found hallmarks of epidemic typhus and relapsing fever. The uncontrolled louse infestation of this population should alert the community to the possibility of severe re-emerging louse-borne infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Veillonella montpellierensis endocarditis.

Veillonella spp. rarely cause infections in humans. We report a case of Veillonella endocarditis documented by isolating a slow-growing, gram-negative microbe in blood cultures. This microbe was identified as the newly recognized species Veillonella montpellierensis (100% homology) by 16S RNA gene sequence analysis.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Autochthonous epidemic typhus associated with Bartonella quintana bacteremia in a homeless person.

Trench fever, a louse-borne disease caused by Bartonella quintana, is reemerging in homeless persons. Epidemic typhus is another life-threatening louse-borne disease caused by Rickettsia prowazekii and known to occur in conditions of war, famine, refugee camps, cold weather, poverty, or lapses in public health. We report the first case of seroconversion to R. prowazekii in a homeless person of Marseilles, France. This was associated with B. quintana bacteremia. Although no outbreaks of typhus have been notified yet in the homeless population, this disease is likely to reemerge in such situation.

Bacteremia↗
PubMed2005

Short report: Q fever and Plasmodium falciparum malaria co-infection in a patient returning from the Comoros archipelago.

Although Plasmodium falciparum malaria and Q fever are both prevalent in Africa, there have been no reports of co-infection to date. We report a case who returned from the Comoros archipelago diagnosed by serologic analysis as well as detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA in acute-phase serum. Thus, Q fever may be associated with malaria infection in travelers returning from disease-endemic countries. This diagnosis should be considered when the response to malaria treatment is incomplete.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Hypertriglyceridemia as an indicator of the severity of falciparum malaria in returned travelers: a clinical retrospective study.

To test the hypothesis that the magnitude of plasma triglyceride changes could be related to the severity of falciparum malaria, we performed a retrospective case-control study from January 1999 to December 2000 among hospitalized patients with fever who were returning to France from the tropics. Plasma triglycerides were measured in patients with severe falciparum malaria ( n=13), mild falciparum malaria ( n=169), non- falciparum malaria ( n=20) and controls ( n=55). Triglyceride level was significantly higher in the malaria group than in controls [mean values were 2.17+/-1.43 mmol/l versus 1.30+/-0.70 mmol/l, respectively ( P<0.0001)]. Triglyceride level was also significantly higher in severe than in mild malaria [4.78+/-1.93 mmol/l versus 1.94+/-1.11, respectively ( P<0.00001)]. Hypertriglyceridemia (>1.80 mmol/l) was noted in all the patients with severe malaria, compared to 37% of patients with mild disease ( P<0.001). Although further studies are needed, these results define the relevance of hypertriglyceridemia as an indicator of the severity of falciparum malaria.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Sandfly fever due to Toscana virus: an emerging infection in southern France.

Infections due to Toscana virus (TOSV) have been described in the Mediterranean area, mainly in Italy. We describe two cases of acute TOSV infection in southern France, one aseptic meningitis and one influenza-like illness. To our knowledge, only one other case of TOSV infection has been reported in this area.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Aneruptive fever associated with antibodies to Rickettsia helvetica in Europe and Thailand.

We report that eight patients from France, Italy, and Thailand had serological evidence of Rickettsia helvetica infection. The infection presented as a mild disease in the warm season and was associated with fever, headache, and myalgia but not with a cutaneous rash. R. helvetica should be suspected in patients with unexplained fever, especially following a bite from an Ixodes sp. tick.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Molecular diagnosis of human granulocytic anaplasmosis.

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis, formerly known as human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, is caused by the microorganism Anaplasma phagocytophilum that is transmitted by Ixodes tick bites. The disease state ranges from subclinical to fatal but may be difficult to differentiate from other febrile conditions without specific tests. Rapid and early diagnosis is important since the infection may be fatal and specific antibiotic therapy is required. The bacterium is an obligate intracellular pathogen of neutrophils. Thus, early diagnosis is best achieved by amplification of nucleic acids from the blood. An increasing number of potential gene targets for diagnostic assays have been described and the incipient release of an Anaplasma phagocytophilum genome sequence will not only help to better understand the disease but may facilitate improvements in diagnostic strategies.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum↗
PubMed2004

Q fever outbreak in homeless shelter.

Urban outbreaks of Q fever have occurred after exposure to slaughterhouses or parturient cats. We detected an outbreak of Q fever in a homeless shelter in Marseilles. Investigations showed that the main factors exposing persons to Coxiella burnetii were an abandoned slaughterhouse, used for an annual Muslim sheep feast, and wind.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Bartonella quintana bacteremia and overproduction of interleukin-10: model of bacterial persistence in homeless people.

Chronic asymptomatic bacteremia caused by Bartonella quintana occurs in homeless people, but its pathophysiology is unknown. We investigated homeless people with bacteremia to determine whether the persistence of B. quintana is associated with a specific immune profile. Homeless people without B. quintana infection exhibited an inflammatory profile--levels of circulating markers of leukocyte activation (soluble interleukin [IL]-2 receptor and neopterin) and cytokines released by mononuclear cells (tumor necrosis factor, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-10) were significantly higher than levels in healthy control subjects. In contrast, homeless people with B. quintana bacteremia exhibited specific increases in IL-10 secretion by mononuclear cells. This overproduction of IL-10 was associated with an attenuated inflammatory profile. The depressed inflammatory response was specific of bacteremia, because patients with specific antibodies and without bacteremia had responses similar to those of homeless people. The overproduction of IL-10 and attenuated inflammatory response may account for the persistence of B. quintana in homeless people.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Hand antisepsis: evaluation of a sprayer system for alcohol distribution.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of a new alcohol sprayer by comparing it with an individual bottle of alcohol. Patterns of use and perceptions among healthcare personnel were compared for the two products. DESIGN: Observational study recording the volume of alcohol used and the compliance rate (frequency of hand antisepsis per number of opportunities), and a survey of healthcare workers' perceptions of the different hand hygiene strategies. SETTING: A 20-bed medical unit in a public hospital in Marseille, France. PARTICIPANTS: Healthcare workers of an infectious disease unit INTERVENTIONS: Hand hygiene alcohol systems (sprayer vs individual bottle, 70% ethyl alcohol). RESULTS: The sprayer was used more frequently than the individual bottle (12.6 vs 9.7 hand washes per day). With the sprayer system, compliance was 91% for physicians, 28% for nurses, and 8% for housekeeping personnel. Alcohol hand antisepsis was preferred to washing hands with soap and water in low-risk situations such as simple entrance into a room (91% vs 36%; P < 10(-6)) or simple contact with a patient (69% vs 40; P < .005). The sprayer system was considered easier to use (95%), more hygienic (90%), and faster (92%), with a better tolerance than the individual bottle. CONCLUSION: The new alcohol sprayer should improve rapid hand antisepsis.

Administration, Topical↗