title: Survival of Coxiella burnetii within free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether Coxiella burnetti is able to survive within free-living amoeba.
  
  
  METHODS
  When C. burnetii was co-cultivated with the free-living amoeba species Acanthamoeba castellanii.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Viable bacteria were detected for 18 days. Microscopic studies confirmed the presence of bacteria within vacuoles, some of which appeared to be spore-like forms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that free-living amoebae could provide an intracellular niche for the spore formation and survival of C. burnetii in the environment.
authors: Unité des Rickettsies, UPRESA 6020, Faculté de médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, France.
authors: B
authors: B
authors: La Scola
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000254:growth & development*; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011778:Q Fever / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media