Detection and Identification of Naegleria australiensis from Swimming pools in Kerman province

Among the free living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri and Naegleria australiensis are considered as the cause of death due to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). As the water of swimming pools are the sources of free living amoeba, this study conducted to detection of Naegleria and identification of N.australiensis from swimming pools.

Eighty water samples were collected from 20 swimming pools of Kerman province in summer 2018 and the residual chlorine, pH and temperature were measured, then filtered and cultured. After morphological identification of amoeba, genus identification and species confirmation were performed by PCR and comparison of PCR product sequence in gene bank, respectively.

The temperature and residual chlorine of water were at standard level in 50% and 93.7%, respectively. Overall 8.75% of water swimming pool samples were contaminated with amoeba with similar morphology to Naegleria. The results of PCR were confirmed the present of Naegleria in 7 samples. The contamination percent was higher in men timetable (10%) and in one meter of wall of swimming pools (12.5%). Comparison of PCR products showed the high percentages of Identity and Query Coverage with recorded sequences of N.australiensis and it was deposited in NCBI with accession number MT292609.

The present research showed that 25% of swimming pools in Kerman province are contaminated with N. australiensis. Regarding to the pathogenic potential of N. australiensis for human and animals, it is necessary, the health workers think about for more disinfection of swimming pools water for preventing of possible infection.