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Isolation of Balamuthia mandrillaris from urban dust, free of known infectious involvement
Maryam Niyyati1, Jacob Lorenzo-Morales, Mostafa Rezaeian
1University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Sánchez, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Abstract:
The free-living amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris can cause fatal encephalitis in humans and other mammals. The organism is associated with soils, and soil exposure has been identified as a risk factor for this pathogen. However, B. mandrillaris has been isolated only once from soils believed to be the source of the infection in child from California, USA who died of Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis and once from another unrelated soil source. We report for a third time the isolation of B. mandrillaris from the environment and for the second time its isolation from a sample not known to be involved with pathogenicity. We have established the new clonal B. mandrillaris strain (ID-19) in axenic media. The identity of our isolate was originally by morphology using a light microscope and this has been confirmed by 16S rRNA gene PCR. The new strain ID-19 groups with others of the species. The fact that our isolate came from dust particles deposited on surfaces from the air in an urban environment may suggest that it is not just soil exposure that constitutes a risk factor for Balamuthia infection. This is the first report of this organism from Iran.
Insights
Balamuthia mandrillaris, a cause of fatal encephalitis, was isolated from urban dust in Iran. This finding suggests airborne dust, not just soil, may be a risk factor for Balamuthia infection.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Pathogen detection
- Public health
Background:
- Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living amoeba causing fatal encephalitis in mammals.
- Soil exposure is a known risk factor, but B. mandrillaris has rarely been isolated from environmental sources.
- Previous isolations were limited to two soil samples, one linked to a human infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the third environmental isolation of Balamuthia mandrillaris.
- To characterize a newly isolated strain (ID-19) from an urban dust sample.
- To investigate potential new exposure routes for Balamuthia infection.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of Balamuthia mandrillaris from airborne dust particles in an urban environment.
- Establishment of the new strain (ID-19) in axenic culture.
- Identification confirmed by light microscopy morphology and 16S rRNA gene PCR.
Main Results:
- A new clonal strain of Balamuthia mandrillaris (ID-19) was successfully isolated from dust.
- Morphological and genetic analyses confirmed the isolate as B. mandrillaris, grouping with known strains.
- This marks the first isolation from Iran and from a non-soil environmental source not directly linked to pathogenicity.
Conclusions:
- Balamuthia mandrillaris can be found in airborne dust, expanding known environmental reservoirs.
- Urban dust exposure may represent an additional risk factor for Balamuthia infection.
- This discovery highlights the need for broader environmental surveillance and risk assessment for Balamuthia.
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