EURL Research & publications

The EURL team is part of the Unit for Bacterial Zoonoses at the Laboratory for Animal Health. This laboratory is located in Maisons-Alfort on the campus of the Alfort National Veterinary School (ENVA), from which it originated. Founded in 1901, it was the world's first laboratory designed to control infectious and contagious animal diseases. The Laboratory for Animal Health also has a site in Normandy devoted to equine diseases. It has 140 employees grouped into five main units and four contracted units (USC) that cover all spheres of animal health infectiology.

 

The team carries out applied research focusing on Brucellosis sp., Burkholderia mallei & pseudomallei, Chlamydia, Mycobacterium sp., Bacillus anthracis; vector-borne zoonotic bacteria such as Francisella tularensis:

  • Development of tools for phenotypic or molecular differentiation of bacterial strains to enable more precise epidemiological monitoring of outbreaks and the establishment of links between animal outbreaks and human cases;
  • Towards "One Health" approaches designed for studying interactions between pathogens, host species and the environment. Several projects are dedicated to wildlife surveillance and the role of different species in pathogen transmission. Others focus on the presence and persistence in the environment, particularly in water bodies, with the option of investigating pathogen survival in amoebae.
  • Application of new high-throughput technologies to reference activities (in particular molecular typing of strains; design of chips for multi-pathogen detection or differential diagnosis) and research (phylogeographical approaches; studies of virulence genes or genes involved in survival; modelling work associated with transmission pathways). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is the biotechnological revolution of recent years, and enables large quantities of genomes to be sequenced in record time and at a more affordable price.
  • Epidemiological studies in production livestock in order to validate diagnostic and/or screening tools, and in wildlife and/or vectors for health surveillance, identification of reservoir populations and/or victims of bacterial infections, working with other ANSES laboratories and other organisations;
  • Persistance of bacteria in environment (soil, water).

List of publications 2024

 

Barros NLC, Ribeiro ML, Freitas AR, Delai RR, Kmetiuk LB, Teixeira WSR, Appolinario CM, Pimpão CT, Ponsart C, Vicente AF, Biondo AW, Megid J. Serological and Molecular Survey of Brucella Species in Owners and Their Dogs Living on Island and Mainland Seashore Areas of Brazil. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2024 Feb;24(2):104-110. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0061

Girault G, Freddi L, Jay M, Perrot L, Dremeau A, Drapeau A, Delannoy S, Fach P, Ferreira Vicente A, Mick V, Ponsart C, Djokic V. Combination of in silico and molecular techniques for discrimination and virulence characterization of marine Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis. Front Microbiol. 2024 Sep 18;15:1437408. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1437408

Schiavo L, Ribeiro ML, de Almeida MB, da Cunha GR, Espírito Santo GAN, Morikawa VM, Vicente AF, Ponsart C, de Santi CE, Kmetiuk LB, Megid J, Biondo AW. One Health approach for Brucella canis: Serological and molecular detection in animal-hoarding individuals and their dogs. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Mar 12;18(3):e0011974. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011974

List of publications 2023

 

Djokic V, Freddi L, de Massis F, Lahti E, Esker MVD, Whatmore A, Haughey A, Ferreira AC, Garofolo G, Melzer F, Sacchini F, Koets A, Wyllie S, Fontbonne A, Girault G, Vicente AF, McGiven J, Ponsart C. The emergence of Brucella canis as a public health threat in Europe: what we know, and what we need to learn. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2023 Aug 31:2249126. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2249126. Online ahead of print.

 

Girault G, Djokic V, Petot-Bottin F, Perrot L, Thibaut B, Sébastien H, Vicente AF, Ponsart C, Freddi L. Molecular Investigations of Two First Brucella suis Biovar 2 Infections Cases in French Dogs.Pathogens. 2023 Jun 1;12(6):792. doi: 10.3390/pathogens12060792.

Freddi L, Vicente AF, Petit E, Ribeiro M, Game Y, Locatelli Y, Jacques I, Riou M, Jay M, Garin-Bastuji B, Rossi S, Djokic V, Ponsart C. Evaluation of a Lateral Flow Immunochromatography Assay (LFIA) for Diagnosis and Surveillance of Brucellosis in French Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex). Microorganisms. 2023 Jul 31;11(8):1976. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11081976

 

IDEMBRU, our joint research EU project

Identification of emerging Brucella species: new threats for human and animals

Since the late 1990’s, several new Brucella species were isolated from humans, wild animals and/or environmental sources demonstrating a wider range of hosts and new potential zoonotic threats.

Some of these species are genetically and/or phenotypically atypical in comparison to the ‘classical’ species.

An exhaustive evaluation and understanding of emerging non-classical Brucella and emerging reservoirs of classical species has been coordinated by the EURL team.

A toolbox focusing on emerging Brucella species and reservoirs has been developed during this project. Visit the IDEMBRU website !

List of publications 2022

Girault, G., L. Perrot, V. Mick, C. Ponsart. 2022. « High-Resolution Melting PCR as Rapid Genotyping Tool for Brucella Species. », Microorganisms 10(2), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10020336

Ferreira Vicente, A., M.S.R. Mioni, D.Q. Cagnini, M.G. Ribeiro, M.F. Arabe Filho, F.J.P. Listoni, B.L.D. Ribeiro, J. Megid. 2022. « Phenotypic and molecular identification of Brucella suis biotype 1 in a pig from brazil – case report. » Braz J Microbiol 53, 487–489. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-021-00607-y

List of publications 2021

L. Freddi., V. Djokic, F. Petot-Bottin, G. Girault, L. Perrot, A. Ferreira Vicente, and C. Ponsart. "The Use of Flocked Swabs with a Protective Medium Increases the Recovery of Live Brucella Spp. And DNA Detection." Microbiol Spectr 9, no. 3 (Dec 22 2021): e0072821. https://doi.org/10.1128/Spectrum.00728-21

Silvio Spicic, Maja Zdelar-Tuk, Claire Ponsart, Rene S. Hendriksen, Irena Reil, Guillaume Girault, Pimlapas Leekitcharoenphon, et al. "New Brucella Variant Isolated from Croatian Cattle." BMC Veterinary Research 17, no. 1 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-02833-w

Sophie Rossi, Elodie Petit, Pascal Marchand, Carole Toïgo, Ariane Payne, Jean-Yves Chollet, Stéphane Anselme-Martin, Benoît Guyonnaud, Antoine Greiller, Anne Thébault, Claire Ponsart, Sébastien Lambert, Gaël Reynaud, Yvette Game, Jean-Jacques Pasquier, Aline Depecker, Chantal Baudin, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jean Hars, Emmanuelle Gilot-Fromont. November 2021 « Evolution du foyer de brucellose chez le bouquetin des Alpes dans le massif du Bargy, Haute Savoie, entre 2012 et 2020 » Bulletin épidemiologique, santé animale et alimentation, N°92, article 10, 12 pages, https://be.anses.fr/sites/default/files/PER-010_2021-11-24_Bargy_Rossi_MaqF_0.pdf

List of publications 2020

Jaÿ M, Freddi L, Mick V, Durand B, Girault G, Perrot L, Taunay B, Vuilmet T, Azam D, Ponsart C, Zanella G. Brucella microti-like prevalence in French farms producing frogs. Transbound Emerg Dis. 2020 Mar;67(2):617-625. doi: 10.1111/tbed.13377. Epub 2019 Oct 21.Tr

Ponsart C, Freddi L, Ferreira-Vicente A, Djokic V, Jaÿ M, Zanella G, Girault G. Brucella, un genre bactérien en expansion : nouvelles espèces, nouveaux réservoirs. Bull Acad Vét Fr 2020 ; Vol 173.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/bavf.2020.70912

 

List of publications 2019

Ponsart C, Riou M, Locatelli Y, Jacques I, Fadeau A, Jaÿ M, Simon R, Perrot L, Breton S, Chaumeil T, Blanc B, Ortiz K, Vion C, Rioult D, Quéméré E, Sarradin P, Chollet JY, Garin-Bastuji B, Rossi S. Brucella melitensis Rev.1 vaccination generates a higher shedding risk of the vaccine strain in Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) compared to the domestic goat (Capra hircus). Vet Res. 2019 Nov 27;50(1):100  〈doi: 10.1186/s13567-019-0717-0〉

EITahir Y, Al-Farsi A, Al-Marzooqi W, Al-Toobi A, M Gaafar O, Jaÿ M, Corde Y, Bose S, Al-Hamrashdi A, Al-Kharousi K, Rajamony S, Asi MN, Al-Saqri N, AlBusaidi R, Elshafie E, H Johnson E. Investigation on Brucella infection in farm animales in Saham, Sultanate of Oman with reference to human brucellosis outbreak. MBC Vet Res. 2019 Oct 28;15(1():327.1 vaccination generates a higher shedding risk of the vaccine strain in Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) compared to the domestic goat (Capra hircus). Vet Res. 2019 Oct 28;15(1):378  〈doi: 10.1186/s12917-019-2093-4〉

Jaÿ M, Freddi L, Mick V, Durand B, Girault G, Perrot L, Taunay B, Vuilmet T, Azam D, Ponsart C, Zanella G. Brucella microti-like prevalence in French farms producing frogs. Transbound Emerg Dis. 2019 Oct 1. 〈doi: 10.1111/tbed.13377〉

Muñoz PM, Mick V, Sacchini, L, Janowicz A, de Miguel MJ, Cherfa MA, Nevado CR, Girault G, Andrés-Barranco S, Jaÿ M, Di Giannatale E, Zilli K, Ancora M, Dondo A, Arnal MC, Tittarelli M, De Massis F, Garin-Bastuji B, Garofolo G. Phylogeography and epidemiology of Brucella suis biovar 2 in wildlife and domestic swine. Vet Microbiol. 2019 Jun;233:68-77.  doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.04.025. Epub 2019 Apr 22.

 

List of publications 2018

Ferreira Vicente A, Girault G, Corde Y, Souza Ribeiro Mioni M, Borges Keid L, et al.. New insights into phylogeography of worldwide Brucella canis isolates by comparative genomics-based approaches: focus on Brazil. BMC Genomics, BioMed Central, 2018, 19, 〈10.1186/s12864-018-5001-6〉. 〈hal-02623500〉

Gioia G, Vinueza RL, Cruz M, Jay M, Corde Y, Marsot M, Zanella G. (2018) “Estimating the probability of freedom from bovine brucellosis in the Galapagos Islands.” Epidemiol Infect. 2018 Sep 19:1-3.

Girault G, Ferreira Vicente A, Corde Y, Souza Ribeiro Mioni M, Borges Keid L, Jay M, Megid J, Mick V (2018) “Genome Sequences of Five Brucella canis Strains Isolated from Different Countries throughout the World”, Genome Sequences 7:14

Hénaux V, Jaÿ M, Siebeke C, Calavas D & Ponsart C. (2018). Review of bovine brucellosis surveillance in Europe in 2015. Rev. Sci. Tech. Inf. Epiz. 37(3) : 29102018-00133-EN. 

Holzapfel M, Girault G, Keriel A, Ponsart C, O’Callaghan D, Mick V (2018) “Comparative Genomics and in vitro Infection of Field Clonal Isolates of Brucella melitensis Biovar 3 Did Not Identify Signature of Host Adaptation”, Frontiers in Microbiology, October 2018 Volume 9 doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02505

Jay M, Girault G, Perrot L, Taunay B, Vuilmet T, Rossignol F, Pitel PH, Picard E, Ponsart C, Mick V (2018) Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Brucella microti-Like Bacteria From a Domestic Marsh Frog (Pelophylax ridibundus). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2018, 5, 283. DOI=10.3389/fvets.2018.00283

Lambert S, Freycon P, Rossi S, Thébault A, Game Y, Toïgo C, Petit E, Barthe M-N, Gaël Reynaud G, Jaÿ M, Garin-Bastuji B, Ponsart C, Hars J, Gilot-Fromont E. High shedding potential and significant individual heterogeneity in naturally-infected Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) with Brucella melitensis. Front. Microbiol., 28 May 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01065

Mioni M.R.S., Ferreira Vicente A., Peres M.G., Appolinario C.M., Ribeiro B.L.D.,  Pantoja JCF, Pinto JPAN, Mathias LA, Megid J. “Brucellosis prevalence in Brazilian slaughterhouses with different meat inspection systems”. Journal of Food Protection, v.81, n.7, 2018.

Ponsart C, Maurin M (2018). “Brucella”. ©ESKA 2018 - Précis de bactériologie Clinique. Chapitre N°80, 1244-1254.

Yahyaoui Azami, H., Ducrotoy, M. J., Bouslikhane, M., Hattendorf, J., Thrusfield, M., Conde- Álvarez, R., Moriyón, I., Zúñiga-Ripa, A., Muñoz, P.M., Mick, V., Bryssinckx, W., Welburn, S. C, Zinsstag, J. (2018) “The prevalence of brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis in ruminants in Sidi Kacem Province, Morocco“. PLoS One. 2018 Sep 18;13(9):e0203360.

List of publications 2017

Hirvelä-Koski V, Nylund M, Skrzypczak T, Heikkinen P, Kauhala M, Jay M, Isomursu M, 2017. Isolation of Brucella pinnipedialis from Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Baltic Sea. J Wildl Dis 53:850-853.

Khames M, Mick V, de Miguel MJ, Girault G, Conde-Alvarez R, Khelef D, Oumouna M, Moriyon I, Munoz PM, Zuniga-Ripa A, 2017. The characterization of Brucella strains isolated from cattle in Algeria reveals the existence of a B.abortus lineage distinct from European and Sub-Saharan Africa strains, Vet Microbiol 211:124-128.

Mailles A, Ogielska M, Kemiche F, Garin-Bastuji B, Brieu N, Burnusus Z, Creuwels A, Danjean MP, Guiet P, Nasser V, Tourrand B, Valour F, Maurin M, O'Callaghan D, Mick V, Vaillant V, Jaÿ M, Lavigne JP, De Valk H, 2017. Brucella suis biovar 2 infection in humans in France: emerging infection or better recognition? Epidemiol. Infect. 145:2711-2716.

List of publications 2016

Mailles A, Garin-Bastuji B, Lavigne JP, Jay M, Sotto A, Maurin M, Pelloux I, O'Callaghan D, Mick V, Vaillant V, De Valk H. Human brucellosis in France in the 21st century: Results from national surveillance 2004-2013. Med Mal Infect. 2016, 46(8) : 411-418. doi: 10.1016/j.medmal.2016.08.007.

Praud A, Durán-Ferrer M, Fretin D, Jaÿ M, O’Connor M, Stournara A, Tittarelli M, Travassos Dias I, Garin-Bastuji B. Evaluation of three competitive ELISAs and of fluorescence polarisation assay for the diagnosis of bovine brucellosis. Vet J. 2016; 216 : 38-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2016.06.014

List of publications 2015

Picard-Hagen N, Berthelot X, Champion JL, Eon L, Lyazrhi F, Marois M, Peglion M, Schuster A, Trouche C, Garin-Bastuji B. Contagious epididymitis due to Brucella ovis: relationship between sexual function, serology and bacterial shedding in semen.  BMC Vet Res. 2015 May 30;11:125. doi: 10.1186/s12917-015-0440-7.