Species of Acanthamoeba Volkonsky, 1931 are the commonest among free-living amoebae that are widespread in different water resources but with lacking phylogenetic data. This study aims at detecting molecular prevalence and genetic diversity of Acanthamoeba isolates in Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt. Forty-eight water samples were collected from 12 swimming pools; four samples during each season over one year. Samples were filtered, cultivated on non-nutrient agar plates and examined microscopically. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis of positive samples targeting diagnostic fragment 3 (DF3) of the small subunit rRNA gene were done. Cultivation succeeded to detect 14 (29%) positive samples while PCR missed three positive samples. The obtained sequences were phylogenetically analysed. The phylogenetic tree was constructed for them with sequences of reference species from the NCBI database. The identified species were Acanthamoeba castellanii Douglas, 1930 (T4), A. astronyxis (Ray et Hayes, 1954) (T9) and A. hatchetti Sawyer, Visvesvara et Harke, 1977 (T11). The prevalence of species of Acanthamoeba was higher during summer and fall. Therefore, the control of the presence of Acanthmoeba spp. in swimming pools needs immediate, effective and practical measures to prevent and control infection with species of Acanthamoeba.

Central laboratory Theodor Bilharz Research Institute Giza Egypt

Department of Medical Parasitology Faculty of Medicine Kafrelsheikh University Egypt

Department of Parasitology Research Institute of Ophthalmology Giza Egypt

Department of Parasitology Theodor Bilharz Research Institute Kornaish El Nile Warrak El Hadar Imbaba Giza Egypt

Division of Oral Biology Department of Periodontology Tufts University School of Medicine Boston MA USA

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