Acanthamoeba spp. in domestic tap water in houses of contact lens wearers in the metropolitan area of Mexico City

• Published in: Experimental parasitology Vol. 126; no. 1; pp. 54 - 58
• Main Authors: Bonilla-Lemus, Patricia, Ramírez-Bautista, Gerardo A., Zamora-Muñoz, Claudia, Ibarra-Montes, María del Rocío, Ramírez-Flores, Elizabeth, Hernández-Martínez, María Dolores
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2010
• Subjects: Acanthamoeba; Acanthamoeba - classification; Acanthamoeba - isolation & purification; Acanthamoeba - pathogenicity; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Amebiasis - etiology; Amebiasis - parasitology; Amebiasis - prevention & control; Animals; Brain - parasitology; Coliform bacteria; Contact lens wearers; Contact Lenses - parasitology; Domestic tap water; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; Female; Free-living amoebae; Fresh Water - chemistry; Fresh Water - microbiology; Fresh Water - parasitology; Humans; Liver - parasitology; Lung - parasitology; Male; Mexico; Mice; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Water Supply - standards; Young Adult; Mexico; Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico City; Contact lens wearers; Coliform bacteria; Domestic tap water; Free-living amoebae; Acanthamoeba
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2009.11.019

A survey was carried out in the metropolitan area of Mexico City to determine the presence of Acanthamoeba in the tap water of houses of contact lens wearers. Water samples were taken from the mains water entry, bathroom sinks and storage containers (roof tanks, cisterns) of 27 houses; and from the solution contained in the contact lens cases. Samples were filtered and cultured onto NNE medium. The isolates were identified based on their morphological features and pathogenicity. Total and fecal coliforms, water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and residual free-chlorine were measured by standard methods. Forty five isolates of Acanthamoeba from 200 water samples were obtained. The highest number of amoebae was isolated from cisterns and roof tanks. Most Acanthamoeba isolates were non-pathogenic, however, their presence in tap water is a potential hazard since some species can cause Acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis.