Acanthamoeba healyi (genotype T12) meningoencephalitis in an adult - first case in Israel

Acanthamoeba is a free-living ameba with a worldwide distribution that causes a distinctive clinical syndrome recognized as granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE). Acanthamoeba GAE is extremely rare clinical syndrome as a few case reports were published. Herein, we present the first case of Acanthamoeba GAE in an adult male in Israel. This case underscores the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for such rare pathogen as a possible etiology of meningoencephalitis with atypical presentation. Therefore, given the potentially devastating outcomes of delayed diagnosis, it is important to consider Acanthamoeba in the differential diagnosis of meningoencephalitis, even in the absence of overt risk factors.