title: Isolation and Molecular Identification of Vermamoeba vermiformis Strains from Soil Sources in El Hierro Island, Canary Islands, Spain.
abstract: Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed protozoa in the environment and have been isolated from many sources such as dust, soil and water. Furthermore, some genera/species of FLA such as Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba spp. are also able to cause opportunistic infections in humans and other animals. More recently, FLA have been reported to be environmental carriers of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses, and thus have gained further importance from the public health point of view. Among them, Acanthamoeba spp. and Vermamoeba vermiformis have been described in many occasions as the most common carriers of pathogens of high medical relevance such as Legionella pneumophila and Mycobacterium spp. In this study, 24 soil samples were collected from the island of El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain, in order to check for the presence of V. vermiformis strains in these samples. Soil samples were cultured on 2 % non-nutrient agar plates covered with a thin layer of heat-killed E. coli and checked daily for the presence of Vermamoeba. After a week, V. vermiformis amoebae were observed in 5 of the 24 processed samples (20.8 %) incubated at room temperature and 37 °C. Molecular characterization was carried out by amplifying the 18S rDNA gene and DNA sequencing, confirming that the isolated strains belonged to Vermamoeba vermiformis species. The high percentage of V. vermiformis in the studied soil sources should raise awareness in the region since these amoebae are potential environmental carriers of pathogens of high medical relevance.
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: María
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, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.|Cátedra de Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Escuela de Bioanálisis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Jonadab
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zamora-Herrera
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vargas-Mesa
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.|Laboratoire Matériaux-Molécules et Applications, IPEST, University of Carthage, La Marsa, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sifaoui
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Atteneri
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Arencibia
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, 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, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
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, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: José 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, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. jmlorenz@ull.edu.es.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorenzo-Morales
mesh_terms: D000656:Amoeba / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D062312:Islands; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012987:Soil