title: Identification of Acanthamoeba Genotypes in Pools and Stagnant Water in Ponds in Sistan Region in Southeast Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Acanthamoeba is one of the most abundant free-living amoebas that is widely distributed in natural and artificial environment resources. Acanthamoeba pathogenic genotypes cause chronic human diseases including amoebic keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. The aim of this study was to determine and identify Acanthamoeba genotypes residing in pools and stagnant water in ponds in Sistan region in southeast Iran. This descriptive study was conducted at the Parasitology Laboratory, School of Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this descriptive study, 93 water samples were collected from pools and ponds in Zabol, Zahak, Hirmand, Hamoon, and Nimrooz in Sistan region. Samples after filtering through 0.45-μm nitrocellulose paper filters were cultured in a 1.5% non-nutrient agar medium enriched with heat-killed Escherichia coli. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted using specialized primers for detecting the genus Acanthamoeba. The sequencing of positive samples was used for determining Acanthamoeba genotypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 82 free-living amoeba positive culture samples, 38 isolates were confirmed to belong to the genus Acanthamoeba by PCR. On sequencing, 34 samples (89.47%) belonged to the T4 genotype, three (7.9%) to the T5 genotype, and one (2.63%) to the T3 genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All genotypes found in this study are potentially pathogenic. The T4 genotype is the main genotype of Acanthamoeba responsible for amoebic keratitis. Resource water is a potential risk factor for the distribution of free-living amoeba. Therefore, more attention of health authorities to determine, training and prevention from infection are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. hooshyar4@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aghajani
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dabirzadeh
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maroufi
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hooshyar
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D005374:Filtration; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D061005:Ponds / Q000469:parasitology*; D062066:Water Resources
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers