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The Effect of Different Environmental Conditions on the Viability of Naegleria fowleri Amoebae
Author(s) -
Lam Charlton,
He Li,
MarcianoCabral Francine
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/jeu.12719
Subject(s) - naegleria fowleri , naegleria , biology , acanthamoeba , amoeba (genus) , salinity , meningoencephalitis , microbiology and biotechnology , olfactory bulb , nasal cavity , protozoa , ecology , zoology , central nervous system , virology , anatomy , neuroscience
Naegleria fowleri, a free‐living amoeba found in soil and freshwater environments, is the causative agent of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis. Infection occurs when amoebae enter the nasal cavity, attach to the nasal mucosa and travel along olfactory neurons towards the olfactory bulb. Upon reaching the central nervous system, the amoebae replicate very rapidly and can cause death in 3–10 days. Little is known about the conditions in which the amoeba can survive in the environment. We have tested conditions beyond the known boundaries on the viability of amoebae by introducing them into moderate and extreme salinity, pH , and temperatures. Our data shows that although viability expectedly decreases towards each of these extreme conditions, their tolerance was much greater than anticipated, including viability in moderate salinity, a wide pH range, and temperatures higher than the previously reported 45 °C.