Temperature Tolerance of Clinical and Environmental isolates of Acanthamoeba spp.

Abstract

Acanthamoeba is a free living protozoa that can cause keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Physiologicalcharacteristics of this amoeba are found to have a medical importance and related to the pathogenic potential of theorganism. This study was carried out to investigate the physiological characteristic from the aspect of temperaturetolerance. Six Acanthamoeba strains from three clinical isolates (HSB 1, HKL 48 and HKL 95) and three environmentalisolates (PHS 2, PHS 11 and PHS 15) were used in this study. Test was done by culturing cysts at 30°C, 37°C and 42oC fortwo weeks and the ability of cysts to change to trophozoites were observed. The result showed all strain was able tochange to trophozoites at 30°C and 37oC. However, no trophozoites were observed at 42oC. This indicate that there isa similarity in the physiological trait of strains from both isolates are the same and strains from the environment areable to show the pathogenic potential thus capable of causing infection to human.