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Abstract
Small free-living amoebae are also called as amphizoic amoebae, because of their capability to exist both as free-living as well as opportunistically pathogenic. Some of the species of Naegleria and Acanthamoeba are known to cause fatal disease (Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis= PAM and Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis= GAE) of central nervous system affecting brain and amoebic keratitis affecting eyes. The purpose of our study was to find out whether small free-living amoebae were also found in natural resource of water such as river and pond from Lucknow region. A total 68 samples of water were collected from six different sites of Gomti River and four different ponds from Lucknow city. A total 38 samples were found to be positive for small free-living amoebae. The most common amoebae present were species of Naegleria, Schizopyrenus, Acanthamoeba, Hartmennella and Vannella. Out of total 47 water samples from Gomti River, 27 samples were positive for amoebae and out of 21 samples of ponds examined 11 were found to be positive. The occurrence of these amoebae in natural water sources such as river and pond in Lucknow region poses a threat to human being for meddling with water without taking adequate care. Since the pathogenic strains of amoebae are known to infect human being via nasal route during swimming and/or via. cut in the skin/ body via haematogenous route. Exposure of eyes with contaminated water may cause amoebic keratitis in human being. A great awareness among masses is essential to educate about these new amoebic disease. their possible preventive measures and occurrence of these pathogenic amoebae from natural water resources.
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References
- Bedi, H.K., Devapura, J.C. and Bomb, B.S., 1972. Primar Amoebic Meningoencephalitis. J. Indian Med. Assoc., 58: 13-14.
- De Jonckheere, J.F., 1981. Naegl'eria australiensis sp. nov., another pathogenic Naegleria from water.Protistologica., 17: 423-429.
- Denny, C.F, lragui, VJ., Uber-Zak, L.D., Karpinski, N.C., Zeigler, E.J., Visvesvara, G.S. and Reed S.L., 1997. Amoebic Meningoencephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris. Case report and review. Clin Infect Dis., 25:1354-8.
- Gogate, A., Singh, B.N., Deohhar, L.P., and Jhala, H.I.,1984. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis caused by Acanthamoeba. J. Postgrad. Med., 30: 125-128.
- Jain, R., Prabhakar, S., Modi, M., Bhatia, R. and Sehgal, R., 2002. Naegleria meningitis: A Rare Survival. Neurology India, 50: 470-472.
- John, D.T. and Howard, M.J., 1995. Techinque for isolating thermotolerent and pathogenic free-living amoebae. Folia Parasitol, 43: 267-271.
- Kasprzak, W. and Mazur, T, 1974. Studies on some pathogenic strains offree-living amoebae isolated from lakes in Poland. Ann. Soc. belge. Med. Trop., 54: 351-357.
- Kaushal, V., Chhina, D.K., Ram S., Singh G, Kaushal, R.K. and Kumar, R., 2008. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri. JAPI, 56: 459-462.
- Kilvington, S., Gray, T., Dart, J., Morlwt, N., Beeching, J.R., Frazer, D.G. and Matheson, M., 2004. Acanthamoeba keratitis the role of domestic tap water contamination in the United Kingdom. Invest. Opthalmol. Vis. Sci., 45: 165-169.
- Levine, N.D., Corless, J.O., Cox, FE.G, Deroux, G, Grain, J., Honigberg, B.M., Leedale, GF., Oeblick, A.R., Lorn, J., Lynn, D., Merinfeld, E.G., Page, F.C., Polijansky, G., Sprague, V. Vavra, J. and Wallance, F.C., 1980. A newly revised classification of the protozoa. J. Protozool., 27: 37-58.
- Martinez, A.J. and Visvesvara, G.S., 1997. Free-living amphizoic and opportunistic amoebae (Review). Brain Pathology, 7: 583-598.
- Nacapunchai, D., Lamom, C., Ruangsittichai,C. and Sriwichai, P., 1999. Isolation of free living Amoebae from Soil and water resources in Thailand. J.Trop.Med.Parasitol., 22-25.
- Page, F.C., 1974. A further study of taxonomic criteria for limax amoebae with description of new species and a key to the genera. Arch. Protistenk.,116: 149-184.
- Pan, N.R. and Ghosh, T.N., 1971. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis in two Indian children. J. Indian Med. Assoc., 56: 134-137.
- Pandey, R. and Shanna, A.K., 2006. Isolation of pathogenic Naegleria fowleri and non cyst forming free-living amoebae Vanella mira and Flabel/ula calkinsi from domestic water supply U.P. India. Lucknow. Journal ofScience., 3-1: 27 32.
- Rohr, U., Weber, S., Michel, R., Selenka, F. and Wilhelm, M., 1998. Comparison of free-living amoeba in hot water system of hospitals with isolates from moist sanitary areas by identifying genera and determining temperature tolerance. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 64: 1822-1824.
- Sheehan, K.B., Michael, F.J. and Henson, J.M., 2003.Detection of Naegleria sp. In a thennal acidic stream in Yellowstone National Park. The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology., 50(4): 263-265.
- Shenoy, S., Godwin W., Prashanth, H.V, Vidyalakshmi, K., Dhanashree, B. and Bharath, R., 2002. Primary Meningoencephalitis by Naegleria fowleri; first reported case from Mangalore, South India. J.Clin.Microbiol., 40(1): 309-310.
- Singh, B.N. and Das, S.R., 1972a. Occurrence of pathogenic Naegleria aerobia, Hartmannella culbertsoni and H. rhysodes in sewage sludge samples of Lucknow. Curr. Sci., 41:277-281.
- Singh, B.N., 1985. Free living soil amoebae as human pathogen. Proc. Indian Natn. Sci. Acad. B, 51(3):297-312.
- Sison, J.P., Kemper, C.A., Loveless, M., McShane, D. and Visvesvara, G.S., 1995. Disseminated Acanthamoeba infection in patients with AIDS. Case report and review. Clin. Infect. Dis., 20:1207-16.
References
Bedi, H.K., Devapura, J.C. and Bomb, B.S., 1972. Primar Amoebic Meningoencephalitis. J. Indian Med. Assoc., 58: 13-14.
De Jonckheere, J.F., 1981. Naegl'eria australiensis sp. nov., another pathogenic Naegleria from water.Protistologica., 17: 423-429.
Denny, C.F, lragui, VJ., Uber-Zak, L.D., Karpinski, N.C., Zeigler, E.J., Visvesvara, G.S. and Reed S.L., 1997. Amoebic Meningoencephalitis caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris. Case report and review. Clin Infect Dis., 25:1354-8.
Gogate, A., Singh, B.N., Deohhar, L.P., and Jhala, H.I.,1984. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis caused by Acanthamoeba. J. Postgrad. Med., 30: 125-128.
Jain, R., Prabhakar, S., Modi, M., Bhatia, R. and Sehgal, R., 2002. Naegleria meningitis: A Rare Survival. Neurology India, 50: 470-472.
John, D.T. and Howard, M.J., 1995. Techinque for isolating thermotolerent and pathogenic free-living amoebae. Folia Parasitol, 43: 267-271.
Kasprzak, W. and Mazur, T, 1974. Studies on some pathogenic strains offree-living amoebae isolated from lakes in Poland. Ann. Soc. belge. Med. Trop., 54: 351-357.
Kaushal, V., Chhina, D.K., Ram S., Singh G, Kaushal, R.K. and Kumar, R., 2008. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri. JAPI, 56: 459-462.
Kilvington, S., Gray, T., Dart, J., Morlwt, N., Beeching, J.R., Frazer, D.G. and Matheson, M., 2004. Acanthamoeba keratitis the role of domestic tap water contamination in the United Kingdom. Invest. Opthalmol. Vis. Sci., 45: 165-169.
Levine, N.D., Corless, J.O., Cox, FE.G, Deroux, G, Grain, J., Honigberg, B.M., Leedale, GF., Oeblick, A.R., Lorn, J., Lynn, D., Merinfeld, E.G., Page, F.C., Polijansky, G., Sprague, V. Vavra, J. and Wallance, F.C., 1980. A newly revised classification of the protozoa. J. Protozool., 27: 37-58.
Martinez, A.J. and Visvesvara, G.S., 1997. Free-living amphizoic and opportunistic amoebae (Review). Brain Pathology, 7: 583-598.
Nacapunchai, D., Lamom, C., Ruangsittichai,C. and Sriwichai, P., 1999. Isolation of free living Amoebae from Soil and water resources in Thailand. J.Trop.Med.Parasitol., 22-25.
Page, F.C., 1974. A further study of taxonomic criteria for limax amoebae with description of new species and a key to the genera. Arch. Protistenk.,116: 149-184.
Pan, N.R. and Ghosh, T.N., 1971. Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis in two Indian children. J. Indian Med. Assoc., 56: 134-137.
Pandey, R. and Shanna, A.K., 2006. Isolation of pathogenic Naegleria fowleri and non cyst forming free-living amoebae Vanella mira and Flabel/ula calkinsi from domestic water supply U.P. India. Lucknow. Journal ofScience., 3-1: 27 32.
Rohr, U., Weber, S., Michel, R., Selenka, F. and Wilhelm, M., 1998. Comparison of free-living amoeba in hot water system of hospitals with isolates from moist sanitary areas by identifying genera and determining temperature tolerance. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 64: 1822-1824.
Sheehan, K.B., Michael, F.J. and Henson, J.M., 2003.Detection of Naegleria sp. In a thennal acidic stream in Yellowstone National Park. The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology., 50(4): 263-265.
Shenoy, S., Godwin W., Prashanth, H.V, Vidyalakshmi, K., Dhanashree, B. and Bharath, R., 2002. Primary Meningoencephalitis by Naegleria fowleri; first reported case from Mangalore, South India. J.Clin.Microbiol., 40(1): 309-310.
Singh, B.N. and Das, S.R., 1972a. Occurrence of pathogenic Naegleria aerobia, Hartmannella culbertsoni and H. rhysodes in sewage sludge samples of Lucknow. Curr. Sci., 41:277-281.
Singh, B.N., 1985. Free living soil amoebae as human pathogen. Proc. Indian Natn. Sci. Acad. B, 51(3):297-312.
Sison, J.P., Kemper, C.A., Loveless, M., McShane, D. and Visvesvara, G.S., 1995. Disseminated Acanthamoeba infection in patients with AIDS. Case report and review. Clin. Infect. Dis., 20:1207-16.