title: Detection of Acanthamoeba and Toxoplasma in River Water Samples by Molecular Methods in Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Free-living amoebae such as Acanthamoeba species may act as carriers of Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma oocysts, thus, may play an important role in the water-borne transmission of these parasites. In the present study, a loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for detection of Toxoplasma and a PCR assay were developed for investigation of Acanthamoeba in environmental water samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 34 samples were collected from the surface water in Guilan Province. Water samples were filtrated with membrane filters and followed by DNA extraction. PCR and LAMP methods used for detection of the protozoan parasites Acanthamoeba and Toxoplasma respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally 30 and 2 of 34 samples were positive for Acanthamoeba and Toxoplasma oocysts respectively. Two samples were positive for both investigated parasites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The investigated water supplies, are contaminated by Toxoplasma and Acanthamoeba (oo)cystes. Acanthamoeba may play an important role in water-borne transmission of Toxoplasma in the study area. For the first time in Iran, protocol of LAMP method was used effectively for the detection of Toxoplasma in surface water samples in Iran.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Biology Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haghighi
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomedicine and Infectious Diseases (CBID), Qinghai Academy for Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, China.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karanis
keywords: Acanthamoeba; Iran; LAMP; PCR; Toxoplasma