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Free-living amoebae and their relationship to air quality in hospital environments: characterization of Acanthamoeba spp. obtained from air-conditioning systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 March 2020

Débora Borgert Wopereis ,
Maria Luiza Bazzo ,
Jefferson Peres de Macedo ,
Fabiana Casara ,
Lisléia Golfeto ,
Eduardo Venancio ,
Jaquelline Germano de Oliveira ,
Marilise Brittes Rott  and
Karin Silva Caumo Open the ORCID record for Karin Silva Caumo [Opens in a new window]
Débora Borgert Wopereis
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Estudos de Protozoários Emergentes e Oportunistas, CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Maria Luiza Bazzo
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Sorologia e Micobactérias, CEP 88040-900, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Jefferson Peres de Macedo
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Estudos de Protozoários Emergentes e Oportunistas, CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Fabiana Casara
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Estudos de Protozoários Emergentes e Oportunistas, CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Lisléia Golfeto
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Sorologia e Micobactérias, CEP 88040-900, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Eduardo Venancio
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Sorologia e Micobactérias, CEP 88040-900, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Jaquelline Germano de Oliveira
Affiliation:
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, CEP: 30.190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Marilise Brittes Rott
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde. Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, CEP 900035-190, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Karin Silva Caumo*
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Estudos de Protozoários Emergentes e Oportunistas, CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: Karin Silva Caumo, E-mail: k.caumo@ufsc.br
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Abstract

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely dispersed in the environment, can cause opportunistic and non-opportunistic infections in humans and other animals. The aim of the present study was characterize FLA obtained from air-conditioners of a public hospital in the city of Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. Fifty-four dust samples were collected of air conditioners, and were inoculated on 1.5% non-nutrient agar, overlaid with layers of Escherichia coli. Subsequently the isolates were axenised in PYG growth medium. The morphological and molecular characterization of the isolates was performed, as well as the tolerance (physiological) assays were used to evaluate the pathogenic potential. The results revealed the presence of FLA in 42 (77.8%) of the collected samples. Of these, 39 (92.9%) axenic isolates of FLA were obtained for morphological and genotypic studies. All the isolates characterized belong to the genus Acanthamoeba. Nineteen (48.7%) isolates belong to the genotype T4, 16 (41.0%) to the T5 genotype and 4 (10.3%) to genotype T11. Seven (18.0%) isolates were considered potentially pathogenic in tolerance assays. These findings require attention, considering the isolation environment and immunocompromised characteristics of many hospitalized patients.

Keywords

Acanthamoebaair-conditionersfree-living amoebaehospital
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 147 , Issue 7 , June 2020 , pp. 782 - 790
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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