High Occurrence of Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae in Arid Environments.

ABSTRACT: Free-living amoebae (FLA) are protozoa ubiquitous in nature, isolated from a variety of environments worldwide. In addition to their natural distribution, some species have been found to be pathogenic to humans. In the present study, FLA presence was evaluated and characterized at the molecular level from different water and soil samples in Fuerteventura Island, Canary Islands, Spain. A total of 31 samples were analyzed by culture and molecular assays (q-PCR and PCR). Moreover, the microbiological quality of the water samples was examined as required by current legislation and international standards. The obtained data revealed that the genus Acanthamoeba was the most prevalent genus of FLA in soil samples and the species Vermamoeba vermiformis was the most isolated in water

SUBMITTER: Perez-Perez P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12844910 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature