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Potentially human pathogenic Acanthamoeba isolated from a heated indoor swimming pool in Switzerland

Christian Gianinazzi1, Marc Schild, Fritz Wüthrich

  • 1Institute of Parasitology, University of Bern, Faculty of Veterinary and Medicine, Bern, Switzerland.

Experimental Parasitology
|December 2, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Acanthamoeba lenticulata, found in a Swiss swimming pool, caused severe infections and death in mice. This thermotolerant amoeba may pose a risk to immunocompromised individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Parasitology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Free-living amoebae, including Acanthamoeba species, can cause serious infections in humans and animals.
  • Granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) is a severe condition primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a potentially pathogenic Acanthamoeba isolate from a heated indoor swimming pool in Switzerland.
  • To characterize the thermotolerance and cytotoxicity of the isolated amoeba.
  • To determine the pathogenicity of the isolate in an animal model.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and culture of Acanthamoeba from a swimming pool at 37°C.
  • Assessment of thermotolerance (growth at 42°C) and cytotoxicity using L929 murine cell line.
  • Intranasal inoculation of Rag2-immunodeficient mice.
  • PCR and 18S rDNA sequencing for species identification.

Main Results:

  • An Acanthamoeba isolate exhibiting high thermotolerance and cytotoxicity was identified.
  • Intranasal infection led to rapid mortality in immunodeficient mice.
  • Histopathology confirmed extensive tissue necrosis, hemorrhagic lesions, and amoebic proliferation in brains and lungs.
  • The isolate was identified as Acanthamoeba lenticulata.

Conclusions:

  • The isolated Acanthamoeba lenticulata from a heated swimming pool demonstrates significant thermotolerance and pathogenicity.
  • This finding suggests a potential risk of infection for immunocompromised individuals exposed to contaminated recreational water.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the public health implications of such isolates in recreational environments.

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