title: Vectorial role of Acanthamoeba in Legionella propagation in water for human use.
abstract: Legionella spp. is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease and is transmitted through aerosols emanating from man-made water systems. Legionella resistance to water treatments has been related to its association with environmental amoebae such as Acanthamoeba. Due to the high presence of this protozoon in Spain and the high rate of notification of Legionnaires' disease of this country, the aims of this work were to study the coexistence of these bacteria and protozoa in water as well as their interaction. The usefulness of Acanthamoeba co-culture for the isolation of environmental Legionella was also studied. For this purpose, 70 water samples were collected in 2011 from three Drinking Water Treatment Plants, three Wastewater Treatment Plants and five Natural Pools in Spain. Acanthamoeba was found by PCR in 87.1% (61/70) samples and, by culture in 85.7% (60/70) samples. Legionella was detected by PCR in 58.6% (41/70) of water samples, in 5.7% (4/70) by agar culture and 75.7% (53/70) by Acanthamoeba co-culture. From the 54 Acanthamoeba water isolates, Legionella was detected in 43 of them independently of Acanthamoeba's genotype (T3, T4 and T11). Legionella feeleii, Legionella birminghamiensis, Legionella gresilensis/berliardensis, Legionella fairfieldensis, Legionella drozanski and Legionella falloni were identified. In conclusion, our results showed that environmental Acanthamoeba is infected by Legionella to a high percentage, and due to its ubiquity, high resistance and its pathogenic potential per se, new methods for its elimination should be studied. Also, the high effectivity of Acanthamoeba co-culture for Legionella detection has been shown.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magnet
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: R H S
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Peralta
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, Brazil.
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Vadillo
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain; Escuela de Microbiología, Grupo de Parasitología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Galvan
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pozuelo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Legionella, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pelaz
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fenoy
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo CEU, Urbanización Montepríncipe, Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: cagupue@ceu.es.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Águila
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007875:Legionella / Q000502:physiology*; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000635:transmission; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013030:Spain; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Acanthamoeba; Drinking water; L. feeleii; Legionella; Natural pool; Wastewater