[Isolation of potencially pathogenic free-living amoebas in hospital dust].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the occurrence of free-living amoebas of the genera Acanthamoeba and Naegleria is dust samples colleted in two hospitals.


METHODS
One-hundred and thirty-two dust samples were collected in two hospitals in Brazil. Hospital collection sites were the following: intensive care unit, operation rooms, nursery, kitchen, emergency and infectious diseases isolation room. The isolation of the amoebas was performed in three culture media: non-nutrient agar inoculated with Escherichia coli, soy agar, and microculture in Giazzi-modified Pavlova's medium. The amoebas were identified according to morphological criteria.


RESULTS
Amoebas of the genera Acanthamoeba and Naegleria were found in 45.5% of the samples, of which 41.6% were collected in the university hospital and 50% in the state hospital. Of all, 45.5% were positive for the genera Acanthamoeba and 3.8% for genera Naegleria.


CONCLUSIONS
Potentially pathogenic free-living amoebas were seen in all sites of the two hospitals and Acanthamoeba was the most frequently isolated genera.
da Silva
Maria Aparecida
MA
Faculdade de Farmácia e Bioquímica, Universidade do Oeste Paulista, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brasil. silmap@muranet.com.br
da Rosa
João Aristeu
JA
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000818:Animals; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004391:Dust; D006761:Hospitals; D009253:Naegleria / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D004391:Dust
Isolamento de amebas de vida livre potencialmente patogênicas em poeira de hospitais.