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Fatemi M, Niyyati M, Rouhani S, Karamati SA, Mirjalali H, Karanis P. Contamination of fresh vegetables in municipal stores with pathogenic Acanthamoeba genotypes; a public health concern. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2023; 33:1010-1021. [PMID: 35443833 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2067328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Acanthamoeba spp. cause keratitis and encephalitis, and are a proper carrier of foodborne pathogens. A total of 70 samples including garden cress, chives, mint, parsley, and basil were collected. Samples were cultured onto a 2% non-nutrient agar medium. The cultures were analyzed using morphological and molecular techniques. In total, 18 (25.7%) out of 70 samples were positive including garden cress 10/22 (45.45%), chives 3/12 (25%), mint 2/13 (15.38%), basil 2/13 (15.38%), and parsley 1/10 (10%). The diagnostic fragment 3 was successfully sequenced in 15 samples and represented 11 (73.3%) T4, three (20%) T5, and one T9 genotypes. In addition, three, two, and one strains, belonging to the genotypes T4, T5, and T9 were ranked highly pathogenic. This is the first study reporting contamination of the most commonly consumed fresh vegetables with pathogenic Acanthamoeba genotypes. Our findings signify the public health concerns due the contamination of vegetables in municipal public markets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marziye Fatemi
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Niyyati
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheila Rouhani
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Ahmad Karamati
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirjalali
- Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Panagiotis Karanis
- University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Cologne 50931, Germany
- Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, Nicosia University Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus
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Various brain-eating amoebae: the protozoa, the pathogenesis, and the disease. Front Med 2021; 15:842-866. [PMID: 34825341 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-021-0865-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Among various genera of free-living amoebae prevalent in nature, some members are identified as causative agents of human encephalitis, in which Naegleria fowleri followed by Acanthamoeba spp. and Balamuthia mandrillaris have been successively discovered. As the three dominant genera responsible for infections, Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia work as opportunistic pathogens of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals, whereas Naegleria induces primary amoebic meningoencephalitis mostly in healthy children and young adults as a more violent and deadly disease. Due to the lack of typical symptoms and laboratory findings, all these amoebic encephalitic diseases are difficult to diagnose. Considering that subsequent therapies are also affected, all these brain infections cause significant mortality worldwide, with more than 90% of the cases being fatal. Along with global warming and population explosion, expanding areas of human and amoebae activity in some regions lead to increased contact, resulting in more serious infections and drawing increased public attention. In this review, we summarize the present information of these pathogenic free-living amoebae, including their phylogeny, classification, biology, and ecology. The mechanisms of pathogenesis, immunology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapies are also discussed.
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Rayamajhee B, Subedi D, Peguda HK, Willcox MD, Henriquez FL, Carnt N. A Systematic Review of Intracellular Microorganisms within Acanthamoeba to Understand Potential Impact for Infection. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10020225. [PMID: 33670718 PMCID: PMC7922382 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acanthamoeba, an opportunistic pathogen is known to cause an infection of the cornea, central nervous system, and skin. Acanthamoeba feeds different microorganisms, including potentially pathogenic prokaryotes; some of microbes have developed ways of surviving intracellularly and this may mean that Acanthamoeba acts as incubator of important pathogens. A systematic review of the literature was performed in order to capture a comprehensive picture of the variety of microbial species identified within Acanthamoeba following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Forty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, 26 studies (60.5%) examined environmental samples, eight (18.6%) studies examined clinical specimens, and another nine (20.9%) studies analysed both types of samples. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by gene sequencing was the most common technique used to identify the intracellular microorganisms. Important pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli, Mycobacterium spp. and P. aeruginosa, were observed in clinical isolates of Acanthamoeba, whereas Legionella, adenovirus, mimivirus, and unidentified bacteria (Candidatus) were often identified in environmental Acanthamoeba. Increasing resistance of Acanthamoeba associated intracellular pathogens to antimicrobials is an increased risk to public health. Molecular-based future studies are needed in order to assess the microbiome residing in Acanthamoeba, as a research on the hypotheses that intracellular microbes can affect the pathogenicity of Acanthamoeba infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binod Rayamajhee
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (H.K.P.); (M.D.W.); (N.C.)
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences (KRIBS), Lalitpur 44700, Nepal
- Correspondence: or
| | - Dinesh Subedi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia;
| | - Hari Kumar Peguda
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (H.K.P.); (M.D.W.); (N.C.)
| | - Mark Duncan Willcox
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (H.K.P.); (M.D.W.); (N.C.)
| | - Fiona L. Henriquez
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Health Research, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Paisley PA1 2BE, UK;
| | - Nicole Carnt
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (H.K.P.); (M.D.W.); (N.C.)
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Choi SH, Cho MK, Ahn SC, Lee JE, Lee JS, Kim DH, Xuan YH, Hong YC, Kong HH, Chung DI, Yu HS. Endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba isolated from domestic tap water in Korea. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2009; 47:337-44. [PMID: 19967080 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2009.47.4.337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2009] [Revised: 09/16/2009] [Accepted: 09/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In a previous study, we reported our discovery of Acanthamoeba contamination in domestic tap water; in that study, we determined that some Acanthamoeba strains harbor endosymbiotic bacteria, via our molecular characterization by mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (Mt DNA RFLP). Five (29.4%) among 17 Acanthamoeba isolates contained endosymbionts in their cytoplasm, as demonstrated via orcein staining. In order to estimate their pathogenicity, we conducted a genetic characterization of the endosymbionts in Acanthamoeba isolated from domestic tap water via 16S rDNA sequencing. The endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba sp. KA/WP3 and KA/WP4 evidenced the highest level of similarity, at 97% of the recently published 16S rDNA sequence of the bacterium, Candidatus Amoebophilus asiaticus. The endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba sp. KA/WP8 and KA/WP12 shared a 97% sequence similarity with each other, and were also highly similar to Candidatus Odyssella thessalonicensis, a member of the alpha-proteobacteria. The endosymbiont of Acanthamoeba sp. KA/WP9 exhibits a high degree of similarity (85-95%) with genus Methylophilus, which is not yet known to harbor any endosymbionts. This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, to show that Methylophilus spp. can live in the cytoplasm of Acanthamoeba.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seon Hee Choi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, 602-739, Korea
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Xuan YH, Yu HS, Jeong HJ, Seol SY, Chung DI, Kong HH. Molecular characterization of bacterial endosymbionts of Acanthamoeba isolates from infected corneas of Korean patients. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2007; 45:1-9. [PMID: 17374972 PMCID: PMC2526339 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2007.45.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The endosymbionts of 4 strains of Acanthamoeba (KA/E9, KA/E21, KA/E22, and KA/E23) isolated from the infected corneas of Korean patients were characterized via orcein stain, transmission electron microscopic examination, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Double membrane-bound, rod-shaped endosymbionts were distributed randomly throughout both the trophozoites and cysts of each of Acanthamoeba isolates. The endosymbionts of KA/E9, KA/E22, and KA/E23 were surrounded by electron-translucent areas. No lacunae-like structures were observed in the endosymbionts of KA/E21, the bacterial cell walls of which were studded with host ribosomes. Comparative analyses of the 16S rDNA sequences showed that the endosymbionts of KA/E9, KA/E22 and KA/E23 were closely related to Caedibacter caryophilus, whereas the KA/E21 endosymbiont was assigned to the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides (CFB) phylum. In the 4 strains of Acanthamoeba, the hosts of the endosymbionts were identified as belonging to the Acanthamoeba castellanii complex, which corresponds to the T4 genotype. Acanthamoeba KA/E21 evidenced characteristics almost identical to those of KA/E6, with the exception of the existence of endosymbionts. The discovery of these endosymbionts from Acanthamoeba may prove essential to future studies focusing on interactions between the endosymbionts and the amoebic hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Hua Xuan
- Department of Parasitology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Taegu 700-422, Korea
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Yu HS, Jeong HJ, Hong YC, Seol SY, Chung DI, Kong HH. Natural occurrence of Mycobacterium as an endosymbiont of Acanthamoeba isolated from a contact lens storage case. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2007; 45:11-8. [PMID: 17374973 PMCID: PMC2526340 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2007.45.1.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent in vitro studies have revealed that a certain Mycobacterium can survive and multiply within free-living amoebae. It is believed that protozoans function as host cells for the intracellular replication and evasion of Mycobacterium spp. under harmful conditions. In this study, we describe the isolation and characterization of a bacterium naturally observed within an amoeba isolate acquired from a contact lens storage case. The bacterium multiplied within Acanthamoeba, but exerted no cytopathic effects on the amoeba during a 6-year amoebic culture. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the bacteria were randomly distributed within the cytoplasm of trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba. On the basis of the results of 18S rRNA gene analysis, the amoeba was identified as A. lugdunensis. A 16S rRNA gene analysis placed this bacterium within the genus Mycobacterium. The bacterium evidenced positive reactivity for acid-fast and fluorescent acid-fast stains. The bacterium was capable of growth on the Middlebrook 7H11-Mycobacterium-specific agar. The identification and characterization of bacterial endosymbionts of free-living protozoa bears significant implications for our understanding of the ecology and the identification of other atypical mycobacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hak Sun Yu
- Department of Parasitology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan 602-739, Korea
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Yu HS, Hwang MY, Kim TO, Yun HC, Kim TH, Kong HH, Chung DI. Phylogenetic relationships among Acanthamoeba spp. based on PCR-RFLP analyses of mitochondrial small subunit rRNA gene. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 1999; 37:181-8. [PMID: 10507226 PMCID: PMC2733148 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.1999.37.3.181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the value of mitochondrial small subunit rRNA gene (mt SSU rDNA) PCR-RFLP as a taxonomic tool for Acanthamoeba isolates with close inter-relationships. Twenty-five isolates representing 20 species were included in the analysis. As in nuclear 18S rDNA analysis, two type strains (A. astronyxis and A. tubiashi) of morphological group 1 diverged earliest from the other strains, but the divergence between them was less than in 18S riboprinting. Acanthamoeba griffini of morphological group 2 branched between pathogenic (A. culbertsoni A-1 and A. healyi OC-3A) and nonpathogenic (A. palestinensis Reich, A. pustulosa GE-3a, A. royreba Oak Ridge, and A lenticulata PD2S) strains of morphological group 3. Among the remaining isolates of morphological group 2, the Chang strain had the identical mitochondrial riboprints as the type strain of A. hatchetti. AA2 and AA1, the type strains of A. divionensis and A. paradivionensis, respectively, had the identical riboprints as A. quina Vil3 and A. castellanii Ma. Although the branching orders of A. castellanii Neff, A. polyphaga P23, A. triangularis SH621, and A. lugdunensis L3a were different from those in 18S riboprinting analysis, the results obtained from this study generally coincided well with those from 18S riboprinting. Mitochondrial riboprinting may have an advantage over nuclear 18S rDNA riboprinting because the mt SSU rDNAs do not seem to have introns that are found in the 18S genes of Acanthamoeba and that distort phylogenetic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- H S Yu
- Department of Parasitology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Taegu, Korea
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