Acanthamoeba belonging to T3, T4, and T11: genotypes isolated from air-conditioning units in Santiago, Chile |
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| Authors: | Astorga Berbeli Lorenzo-Morales Jacob Martín-Navarro Carmen M Alarcón Verónica Moreno Johanna González Ana C Navarrete Elizabeth Piñero José E Valladares Basilio |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Laboratory of Environmental Parasitology, Institute of Public Health of Chile, , Santiago, Chile;2. University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, , 38203 La Laguna Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain;3. Servicio de Genómica, Servicios Generales de Apoyo a la Investigación (SEGAI), University of La Laguna, , 38203 La Laguna Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain;4. School Medical Technologists, San Sebastian University, Concepción, Chile |
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| Abstract: | Free-living amoebae (FLA) of the genus Acanthamoeba are widely distributed in the environment, in the air, soil, and water, and have also been isolated from air-conditioning units. The objective of this work was to investigate the presence of this genus of FLA in the air-conditioning equipment at the Institute of Public Health of Chile in Santiago, Chile. Water and air samples were collected from air-conditioning systems and were checked for the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. Positive samples were further classified at the genotype level after sequencing the highly variable diagnostic fragment 3 (DF3) region of the 18S rRNA gene. This is the first report of the T3, T4, and T11 genotypes of Acanthamoeba in air-conditioning units from Chile. Overall, the widespread distribution of potentially pathogenic Acanthamoeba strains in the studied source demands more awareness within the public and health professionals in Chile as this pathogen is emerging as a risk for human health worldwide. |
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| Keywords: | Amoebae free living amoebae South America. |
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