Acanthamoeba

Acanthamoeba Latest News

Recently, it is revealed that Acanthamoeba is more widespread in Kerala’s waterbodies than thought earlier.

About Acanthamoeba

• It is a free-living ameba, a kind of one-celled organism that lives in water, soil, and dust.
• It can also be found in swimming pools, hot tubs, drinking water systems, humidifiers, and in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
• It can cause serious infections of the brain, skin, eyes, and sinuses. 
• It can infect parts of the body through cuts or skin wounds or from being inhaled into the lungs or nostrils. It can get into the eyes through contact lens use.

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Types of Infections Caused by Acanthamoeba

• Granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), which affects the brain and is almost always fatal
• Cutaneous acanthamoebiasis, a skin infection
• Acanthamoeba rhinosinusitis, an infection of the nasal cavity and sinuses
• Acanthamoeba keratitis: It is an eye infection that typically occurs in healthy people and can cause permanent vision loss.

Source: TH