Free-Living Amoebae Isolation from Surface Fresh Water in Valle Del Mayo, Sonora
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Abstract
Free living amoebae have acquired medical importance since the 1970’s due to the discovery of their pathogenicity in humans and animals. The genus Naegleria is outstanding by owning the species of Naegleria fowleri, which causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) disease of fast and fatal evolution in humans, and other mammals; besides Naegleria fowleri, there are other two amoebae that cause granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) which are Acanthamoeba spp. and the recently discovered Balamuthia mandrillaris. The aim of this study was to identify the genus of native free living amoebae in Valle del Mayo, Sonora; as well as the deliberate search of Naegleria fowleri. 10 sampling sites were selected in October of 2007. Trophozoite and cyst morphology, amebo-flagellate transformation, thermo-tolerance, and molecular tests criteria were used to identify the stocks. From the 91 isolated stocks, 14 were positive to flagellation. Of these, 5 grew at 45ºC, and 9 grew in a range between 20ºC and 37ºC. DNA was extracted from 5 suspicious stocks and was treated for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to compare it with Naegleria fowleri positive controls and examine their similarity. The result revealed that the isolations corresponded to other thermophilic species of Naegleria. Deliberated search of these pathogenic free living amoebae is recommended to be continued.
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