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Prevalence of Acanthamoeba spp. in Tasmanian intensive care clinical specimens

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 05:08 authored by Bradbury, RS, French, LP, Christopher BlizzardChristopher Blizzard
BACKGROUND: Acanthamoebae are ubiquitous free-living environmental amoebae that may occasionally cause keratitis, granulomatous encephalitis, cutaneous lesions and systemic disease in humans. Acanthamoeba spp. have been implicated as a vehicle by which a number of common bacterial causes of healthcare-associated pneumonia may enter the lungs. Limited evidence has been found implicating Acanthamoeba spp. as a primary cause of pneumonia and urinary catheter colonization in intensive care patients.

AIM: To explore the possibility of colonization of the respiratory and urinary tracts of intensive care patients with free-living amoebae.

METHODS: Thirty-nine catheter urines, 50 endotracheal trap sputa and one general ward sputum sample from 45 patients and nine intensive care unit (ICU) environmental water samples were collected during a four-and-half-month period in the Royal Hobart Hospital from August 2011.

FINDINGS: Acanthamoebae were isolated by culture and detected by polymerase chain reaction in two sputum samples from a single patient, taken one week apart. A single Acanthamoeba species isolate was detected by culture only from the ICU environment.

CONCLUSION: Colonization of ICU patients' respiratory tracts with Acanthamoeba spp. does occur. This may have significance for the role of acanthamoebae as a source of bacterial pathogens in intensive therapy patients' respiratory tracts.

History

Publication title

Journal of Hospital Infection

Volume

86

Pagination

178-181

ISSN

0195-6701

Department/School

Tasmanian School of Medicine

Publisher

W B Saunders Co Ltd

Place of publication

32 Jamestown Rd, London, England, Nw1 7By

Rights statement

Copyright 2014 The Healthcare Infection Society

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Clinical health not elsewhere classified

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    University Of Tasmania

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