Isolation and Identification of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria from Drinking Water of Qazvin, Iran

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 Medical Student, Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

2 General Practitioner, Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

5 Associate Professor, Medical Microbiology Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

10.48305/jims.v41.i746.1075

Abstract

Background: Free-living amoebae are widely distributed protozoa. It is an opportunistic amphizoic protozoan and can accidentally infect humans. The identification of the amoebae could help to prevent and control the disease. This study was conducted to isolate and identify Acanthamoeba and Naegleria from the drinking water of Qazvin by using morphological and molecular methods.
Methods: In this study, 120 drinking water samples were taken from both hot and cold waters in different parts of Qazvin, Iran. The samples were cultured to isolate and identify positive specimens. PCR amplification was conducted to confirm the isolated species of the Acanthamoeba and Naegleria. Evaluation of pathogenicity was conducted by osmo-tolerance and thermo-tolerance assays. Statistical analysis was performed, and P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Findings: According to the morphological and molecular analysis, 27 (22.5%) of water isolates were positive for FLA (Free-living amoeba). Among the positive isolates, 16.7% and 5.84% of the specimens were identified as Acanthamoeba and Naegleria respectively. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference between distributions of the amoeba in drinking water. The results of pathogenicity assays demonstrated that 55% of Acanthamoeba was a pathogen.
Conclusion: The present study recommended that more attention should be paid to the proper treatment of drinking water for public health.

Highlights

Pourya Fathollahzadeh: Google Scholar

Isareza Zare: Google Scholar

Mohammad Ali Hosseini: Google Scholar

Amir Javadi: Google Scholar

Peyman Heydarian: Google Scholar

Elham Hajialilo: Google Scholar

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Niyyati M, Lasgerdi Z, Lorenzo-Morales J. Detection and molecular characterization of potentially pathogenic free-living amoebae from water sources in Kish Island, Southern Iran. Microbiol Insights 2015; 8(Suppl 1): 1-6.
  2. Siddiqui R, Ahmed Khan N. Biology and pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5(1): 6.
  3. Wopereis DB, Bazzo ML, de Macedo JP, Casara F, Golfeto L, Venancio E, et al. Free-living amoebae and their relationship to air quality in hospital environments: characterization of Acanthamoeba spp. obtained from air-conditioning systems. Parasitology 2020; 147(7): 782-90.
  4. Ahmed Khan N. Acanthamoeba: biology and increasing importance in human health. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2006; 30(4): 564-95.
  5. Hajialilo E, Niyyati M, Solaymani M, Rezaeian M. Pathogenic free-living amoebae isolated from contact lenses of keratitis patients. Iran J Parasitol 2015; 10(4): 541-6.
  6. Otero-Ruiz A, Gonzalez-Zuñiga LD, Rodriguez-Anaya LZ, Lares-Jiménez LF, Gonzalez-Galaviz JR, Lares-Villa F. Distribution and current state of molecular genetic characterization in pathogenic free-living amoebae. Pathogens 2022; 11(10): 1199.
  7. Pugh JJ, Levy RA. Naegleria fowleri: Diagnosis, pathophysiology of brain inflammation, and antimicrobial treatments. ACS Chem Neurosci 2016; 7(9): 1178-9.
  8. Visvesvara GS, Moura H, Schuster FL. Pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amoebae: Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri, and Sappinia diploidea. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2007; 50(1): 1-26.
  9. Fanselow N, Sirajuddin N, Yin XT, Huang AJ, Stuart PM. Acanthamoeba keratitis, pathology, diagnosis and treatment. Pathogens 2021; 10(3): 323.
  10. Marciano-Cabral F. Biology of Naegleria spp. Microbiol Rev 1988; 52(1): 114-33.
  11. Hajialilo E, Rezaeian M, Niyyati M, Pourmand MR, Mohebali M, Norouzi M, et al. Molecular characterization of bacterial, viral and fungal endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba isolates in keratitis patients of Iran. Exp Parasitol 2019; 200: 48-54.
  12. Yousuf FA, Siddiqui R, Subhani F, Khan NA. Status of free-living amoebae (Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia mandrillaris) in drinking water supplies in Karachi, Pakistan. J Water Health 2013; 11(2): 371-5.
  13. Javanmard E, Niyyati M, Lorenzo-Morales J, Lasjerdi Z, Behniafar H, Mirjalali H. Molecular identification of waterborne free living amoebae (Acanthamoeba, Naegleria and Vermamoeba) isolated from municipal drinking water and environmental sources, Semnan province, north half of Iran. Exp Parasitol 2017; 183: 240-4.
  14. Armand B, Motazedian M, Asgari Q. Isolation and identification of pathogenic free-living amoeba from surface and tap water of Shiraz City using morphological and molecular methods. Parasitol Res 2016; 115(1): 63-8.
  15. Maschio VJ, Chies F, Carlesso AM, Carvalho A, Rosa SP, Van Der Sand ST, et al. Acanthamoeba T4, T5 and T11 isolated from mineral water bottles in southern Brazil. Curr Microbiol 2015; 70(1): 6-9.
  16. Rivera F, Galvan M, Robles E, Leal P, Gonzalez L, Lacy AM. Bottled mineral waters polluted by protozoa in Mexico. J Protozool 1981; 28(1): 54-6.
  17. Paknejad N, Hajialilo E, Saraei M, Javadi A. Isolation and identification of Acanthamoeba genotypes and Naegleria spp. from the water samples of public swimming pools in Qazvin, Iran. J Water Health 2020; 18(2): 244-51.
  18. Khorsandi Rafsanjani M, Hajialilo E, Saraei M, Alizadeh SA, Javadi A. Isolation and molecular identification of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria from agricultural water canal in Qazvin, Iran. Iran J Parasitol 2020; 15(3): 393-402.
  19. Khan NA. Pathogenicity, morphology, and differentiation of Acanthamoeba. Curr Microbiol 2001; 43(6): 391-5.
  20. Hajialilo E, Behnia M, Tarighi F, Niyyati M, Rezaeian M. Isolation and genotyping of Acanthamoeba strains (T4, T9, and T11) from amoebic keratitis patients in Iran. Parasitol Res 2016; 115(8): 3147-51.
  21. Behravan M, Malekaneh M, Mesbahzadeh B, Sharifzadeh G, Namaei MH, Behniafar H, et Microscopic isolation and characterization of free living amoebae [FLA] from surface water sources. in Birjand, the capital city of the South Khorasan [in Persian]. J Birjand Univ Med Sci 2015; 22(2): 161-8.
  22. Ghadar-ghadr S, Solhjoo K, Norouz-nejad M, Rohi R, Zia-Jahromi S. Isolation and identification of free living amoeba (Naegleria and Acanthamoeba) in Shiraz water resources by morphological criteria [in Persian]. J Jahrom Univ Med Sci 2012; 10(3): 26-33.
  23. Mahmoudi MR, Rahmati B, Seyedpour SH, Karanis P. Occurrence and molecular characterization of free-living amoeba species (Acanthamoeba, Hartmannella, and Saccamoeba limax) in various surface water resources of Iran. Parasitol Res 2015; 114(12): 4669-74.
  24. De Jonckheere J, Van de Voorde H. Differences in destruction of cysts of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Naegleria and Acanthamoeba by chlorine. Appl Environ Microbiol 1976; 31(2): 294-7.
  25. Kao PM, Hsu BM, Hsu TK, Liu JH, Chang HY, Ji WT, et al. Seasonal distribution of potentially pathogenic Acanthamoeba species from drinking water reservoirs in Taiwan. Environ Sci Pollut Res 2015; 22(5): 3766-73.
  26. Greub G, Raoult D. Microorganisms resistant to free-living amoebae. Clin Microbiol Rev 2004; 17(2): 413-33.
  27. Panahifard M, Mahvi A, Asgari A, Nazemi S, Moradnia M. A survey on drinking water quality in qazvin in 2015 [in Persian]. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2017; 16(1): 3-16.
  28. Edagawa A, Kimura A, Kawabuchi-Kurata T, Kusuhara Y, Karanis P. Isolation and genotyping of potentially pathogenic Acanthamoeba and Naegleria species from tap-water sources in Osaka, Japan. Parasitol Res 2009; 105(4): 1109-17.
  29. AI-Herrawy AZ, Mohamed SH, Ali M, Mohammed AH, Gad MA. Distribution of Naegleria in water resources in Egypt. Egypt J Desert Res 2014; 2: 1-14.
  30. Leiva B, Clasdotter E, Linder E, Winiecka-Krusnell J. Free-living Acanthamoeba and Naegleria spp. amebae in water sources of León, Nicaragua. Rev Biol Trop 2008; 56(2): 439-46.
  31. Gabriel S, Ahmed Khan N, Siddiqui R. Occurrence of free-living amoebae (Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia, Naegleria) in water samples in Peninsular Malaysia.
    J Water Health 2019; 17(1): 160-71.
  32. Ahmadi O, Sharifi Y, Khosravinia N, Moghaddas E, Akhoundi M, Fotouhi-Ardakani R, et al. Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of free-living amoeba (Naegleria and Acanthamoeba) from treated and untreated drinking water. Gene Rep 2021; 25: 101328.
  33. Siddiqui R, Ali IKM, Cope JR, Ahmed Khan N. Biology and pathogenesis of Naegleria fowleri. Acta Trop 2016; 164: 375-94.

 

Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 41, Issue 746
2nd Week, February
January and February 2024
Pages 1075-1081

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 23 September 2023
  • Accept Date: 16 March 2024

Share

How to cite

Statistics