Free-living amoebae isolated from surface water in the municipality of Turbaco, Bol铆var, Colombia

[摘要] Introduction: free-living amoebae (FLAs) have been isolated from habitats such as water, soil and vegetation. As a result of ecological changes and incursion into these habitats, free-living amoebae have invaded hosts and settled within them as parasites. This is the reason why the species of genera Acanthamoeba and Naegleria have been associated with opportunistic diseases.Objective: determine the presence of free-living amoebae in natural water sources from the municipality of Turbaco, so they are taken into account by the corresponding health institutions in the design of diagnostic and therapeutic actions.Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted of streams Matute, Mameyal and Cucumán in the municipality of Turbaco, Bolívar. Identification was based on the study of fresh water from the sources selected and observation of the morphological characteristics of amoebae.Results: of the total 54 samples, 55.5 % tested positive for one or more FLAs. The most common were Naegleria sp with 44.4 % and Acanthamoeba sp with 7.4 %. Microorganisms were also found which cause intestinal parasitic disease, such as Giardia intestinalis, Blastocystis hominis and Retortomonas intestinalis.Conclusion: the streams studied are habitats for FLAs, showing that the latter are present in the environment and are common in areas where human beings perform certain activities. However, the proportion of Naegleria sp. makes it necessary to emphatically alert the population, since this amoeba may affect all individuals, irrespective of their immune status.

[学科分类] 传染病学

[关键词] Acanthamoeba;encephalitis;meningoencephalitis;Naegleria (Source DeCS;BIREME)