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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
First isolation of Mimivirus in a patient with pneumonia
Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 57, No. 4, Year 2013
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Description
Background. Mimiviridae Mimivirus, including the largest known viruses, multiply in amoebae. Mimiviruses have been linked to pneumonia, but they have never been isolated from patients. To further understand the pathogenic role of these viruses, we aimed to isolate them from a patient presenting with pneumonia. Methods. We cultured, on Acanthamoeba polyphaga amoebae, pulmonary samples from 196 Tunisian patients with community-acquired pneumonia during the period 2009-2010. An improved technique was used for Mimivirus isolation, which used agar plates where the growth of giant viruses is revealed by the formation of lysis plaques. Mimivirus serology was tested by microimmunofluorescence and by bidimensional immunoproteomic analysis using Mimivirus strains, to identify specific immunoreactive proteins. The new Mimivirus strain genome sequencing was performed on Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium, then AB SOLiD instruments. Results. We successfully isolated a Mimivirus (LBA111), the largest virus ever isolated in a human sample, from a 72-year-old woman presenting with pneumonia. Electron microscopy revealed a Mimivirus-like virion with a size of 554 ± 10 nm. The LBA111 genome is 1.23 megabases, and it is closely related to that of Megavirus chilensis. Furthermore, the serum from the patient reacted specifically to the virus compared to controls. Conclusions. This is the first Mimivirus isolated from a human specimen. The findings presented above together with previous works establish that mimiviruses can be associated with pneumonia. The common occurrence of these viruses in water and soil makes them probable global agents that are worthy of investigation. © The Author 2013.
Authors & Co-Authors
Saadi, Hanene
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Pagnier, Isabelle
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Colson, Philippe
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Chérif, Jouda Kanoun
Tunisia, Tunis
Faculté de Médecine de Tunis
Béji, Majed
Tunisia, Tunis
Faculté de Médecine de Tunis
Boughalmi, Mondher
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Azza, Saïd
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Armstrong, Nicholas
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Robert, Catherine
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Fournous, Ghislain
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
La Scola, Bernard
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Raoult, Didier A.
France, Marseille
Aix Marseille Université
Statistics
Citations: 121
Authors: 12
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1093/cid/cit354
ISSN:
10584838
e-ISSN:
15376591
Research Areas
Environmental
Health System And Policy
Participants Gender
Female