Acanthamoeba

MICROBIOLOGY

  • Free-living amoeba, ubiquitous, and can be isolated worldwide from soil, air, and fresh- and saltwater.
  • Eukaryotic, shares homologies with mammalian cells.[10]
  • Life cycle consists of 2 stages: mobile trophozoite, the infective stage, is 14-40 um in diameter, and the dormant cyst is double-walled and wrinkled.
    • The cyst is resistant to chlorine and antibiotics. Encystation occurs under stress.
    • The transition from cyst to trophozoite occurs optimally in vitro at 30°C or 86°F.[6]
  • Described as “Trojan horses” because acanthamoebae can harbor intracellular bacteria.[12]
    • Treatment of bacterial endosymbionts may attenuate inflammation associated with acanthamoebae infection.[7]

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Last updated: December 9, 2019