Increasing importance of Balamuthia mandrillaris
Abdul Matin1, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui, Samantha Jayasekera
1School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, England.
Clinical Microbiology Reviews
|July 16, 2008
Abstract:
Balamuthia mandrillaris is an emerging protozoan parasite, an agent of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis involving the central nervous system, with a case fatality rate of >98%. This review presents our current understanding of Balamuthia infections, their pathogenesis and pathophysiology, and molecular mechanisms associated with the disease, as well as virulence traits of Balamuthia that may be potential targets for therapeutic interventions and/or for the development of preventative measures.
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