Ihu

IHU Méditerranée Infection, officially Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, is a French hospital-university institute in Marseille dedicated to infectious diseases and microbiology. It was established in 2011 by Didier Raoult on the Timone campus of Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille and is affiliated with Aix-Marseille University. The institute combines patient care, clinical services, and research, housing laboratories in bacteriology, virology, genomics, diagnostics, and infectious disease specialty units. Its mission is to improve understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases through translational research, advanced diagnostics, and specialized training for clinicians and scientists. IHU Méditerranée Infection pursues research on a broad range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and emerging infections, and supports public health surveillance, outbreak response, and novel diagnostic methods.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the IHU's work drew international attention for its early and rapid investigations into SARS-CoV-2, most notably studies led by Raoult regarding hydroxychloroquine, which sparked widespread debate about study design and data transparency. The institute maintains collaborations with national and international partners and participates in conferences, multicenter studies, and training programs. It remains a prominent research entity in France for infectious diseases, with ongoing efforts in pathogen discovery, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical management of complex infections.