Isolation and genotyping of Acanthamoeba spp. from recreational soil of parks in Tehran، Iran

Acanthamoeba is a genus of free-living amoebae found in environmental sources. These amphizoic amoebae can lead to severe human disease such as encephalitis and keratitis. Acanthamoeba transmits to humans through contact with soil and dust from scratching the skin. The aim of the present study was to identify the genotypes of Acanthamoeba in parks of the city of Tehran using molecular and morphological - based methods. In this study, 52 samples of soil were collected from 17 parks in Tehran. Samples were then filtered and cultured on 1.5% non-nutrient agar. DNA extraction and PCR amplification was performed using genus specific primers. Sequencing analysis and BLAST search were done for genotype identification. Out of 52 soil samples, 14 strain (26.9%) were positive for Acanthamoeba amoebae by microscopic observation. Out Of 14 positive isolates, 9 (17.3%) were positive for Acanthamoeba using genus specific primer pairs. Of 14 strains, 9 were sequenced successfully. Genotype identification was revealed that all strains were belonged to T4 type. T4 genotypes among strains are human pathogens. Identification of pathogenic Acanthamoeba belonging to T4 genotype in recreational parks could be of utmost importance. Results of this study show that soil contamination, particularly in parks where children play and assemble is a sanitary risk for them.