title: Balamuthia mandrillaris in South America: an emerging potential hidden pathogen in Perú.
abstract: Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free living amoeba that can be isolated from soil. It is an emerging pathogen causing skin lesions as well as CNS involvement with a fatal outcome if untreated. Further, infections can sometimes can also appear in peripheral areas such as extremities (usually knee), or trunk. Moreover, it often progresses to an infiltrative lesion that occasionally becomes ulcerated. In countries like Peru, a skin lesion will precede other symptoms. This primary cutaneous lesion can be present for weeks or even months. However, the appearance of neurological disease predicts a poor prognosis. Diagnosis requires a high level of suspicion.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología Clínica, Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander Von Humboldt" Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado N°430, San Martín de Porras, Lima, Peru; University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Electronic address: amcabello_v@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alfonso M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cabello-Vílchez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología de la Unidad de Tecnología de Biología y Prototipos, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Zaragoza
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piñero
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Basilio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valladares
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorenzo-Morales
mesh_terms: D000562:Amebiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D059611:Balamuthia mandrillaris / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D059000:El Nino-Southern Oscillation; D057232:Global Warming; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012876:Skin Diseases, Parasitic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology; D013020:South America
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Balamuthia mandrillaris; Emerging pathogen; Encephalitis in American Latin; Skin lesion