Acanthamoeba

Question 1

Habitat:

Answer 1

Outside man it is present in brackish water, dialysis apparatus, humidifier, cysrs are present in dust.
Inside man, it enters brain, nose throat, eye, skin and upper resporatory tract.

Question 2

Disease:

Answer 2

Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE)
Acanthamoebic keratitis.
Cutaneous granulomatous infection.

Question 3

Is it an opportinisitc parasite?

Answer 3

It is one of the opportunistic protozoa occurs in immunosuppressed or AIDs patient.

Question 4

Mode of infection:

Answer 4

Contact with contaminated water containing cyst and Trophozoite through ulcerated skin, eye and genitourinary passages.
Inhalation from nose and reach lung.

Question 5

Life cycle:

Answer 5

It lives as commensal in upper respiratory tract.
If immunosuppression occurs , infection appears.
In Acanthamoeba granulomatous infection (GAE), Amoeba reaches CNS by haematogenous route from primary site in lung and skin, trophozoite and cysts present in brain lesion.

Question 6

Keratitis:

Answer 6

Amoeba may present in contact lens container containing dirty solution, or during swimming with lenses, it penetrate minor corneal abrasion leading to destructiom