Detection of free living amoeba in five aquatic sites in Sharkia governorate

ABSTRACT

Detection of free living amoebae [FLA] in fresh water canals and drains, as a possible cause of primary amoebic meningo-encephalitis [PAM], was carried out of Sharkiya Governorate. So fifty surface water samples from different 5 aquatic sites were studied. On cultivation eleven of them were containing FLA, representing 22%. Naegleria spp. and Acanthamoebae spp. were isolated and identified on morphological basis and flagellation test. The two strains were investigated in the water of polluted drains. Three groups of mice were used to perform the pathogenicity test, one as a control, another tested by Naegleria spp. and the third was tested by Acanthamoeba spp. None of the mice died during the test time [15 days], but some histopathological differences were noticed in the brain sections, however no signs or symptoms of meningitis were recorded in the tested mice. It could be concluded that the isolated and intranasal inoculated free living amoebae strains in this work were non pathogenic to mice, but this cannot deny their possible role in causing PAM in man