Acanthamoeba : New Study
It is revealed that Acanthamoeba is more widespread in Kerala’s waterbodies than thought earlier.
- Acanthamoeba 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.
- 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.
