title: Balamuthia mandrillaris therapeutic mud bath in Jamaica.
abstract: Balamuthia mandrillaris is an emerging cause of encephalitis in humans. The transmission dynamics are poorly understood due to the high fatality rate and the sporadic nature of cases. Seventy-two soil samples were collected from beaches and the banks of lagoons, rivers, ponds, mineral springs and streams from across Jamaica and assayed for the presence of B. mandrillaris. Seventy-nine sites were sampled and the mitochondrial 16S rDNA gene of B. mandrillaris was amplified and sequenced to confirm the presence of the amoeba. One isolate of B. mandrillaris was recovered from soil from mineral spring which hosts an informal therapeutic mud bath business. Although B. mandrillaris is less frequently isolated from soil than other free-living amoebae, rubbing mud containing the organism onto the skin increases the likelihood of exposure and infection. This first report on the isolation of B. mandrillaris in the Caribbean and its presence in soil where human contact is likely warrants further investigation using serological methods to elucidate exposure patterns.
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: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Todd
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: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reyes-Batlle
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: J E
authors.initials: JE
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: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez-Carretero
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: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valladares
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology,University of the West Indies,Kingston,Jamaica.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lindo
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: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorenzo-Morales
mesh_terms: D059611:Balamuthia mandrillaris / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003625:Data Collection; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009094:Mud Therapy; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis; Balamuthia mandrillaris; Caribbean; Jamaica