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Published on: October 27, 2013
The in vitro efficacy of antimicrobial agents against the pathogenic free-living amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris
Arine F Ahmad1, Wayne Heaselgrave, Peter W Andrew
1Department of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Leicester, Maurice Shock Building, University Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN, United Kingdom; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Building, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia.
Abstract:
The free-living amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris causes usually fatal encephalitis in humans and animals. Only limited studies have investigated the efficacy of antimicrobial agents against the organism. Assay methods were developed to assess antimicrobial efficacy against both the trophozoite and cyst stage of B. mandrillaris (ATCC 50209). Amphotericin B, ciclopirox olamine, miltefosine, natamycin, paromomycin, pentamidine isethionate, protriptyline, spiramycin, sulconazole and telithromycin had limited activity with amoebacidal levels of > 135-500 μM. However, diminazene aceturate (Berenil(®) ) was amoebacidal at 7.8 μM and 31.3-61.5 μM for trophozoites and cysts, respectively. Assays for antimicrobial testing may improve the prognosis for infection and aid in the development of primary selective culture isolation media.
