Abstract:

Free-living Amoebae of Acanthamoeba genus include non-pathogenic and pathogenic strains that are currently classified in 18 different genotypes, T1-T18. In this study, a survey was carried out to evaluate the presence of Acanthamoeba strains inwatering trough sample in La Pampa province, Argentina. Sample were inoculated onto non-nutrient agar plates and were checked for the presence of Acanthamoeba. Polymerase chain reaction was performed with genus-specific primers JDP1/JDP2, followed by direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction product for molecular identification. Sequencing results revealed the presence of T4, T5 and T15 genotypes within the studied samples. Sequencing revealed presence of T4, T5 and T15 in the samples studied genotypes, the most frequent T4. Our study reveals importance of the presence of Acanthamoeba in the livestock environment and the need for further studies to associate the presence of these organisms and the role in veterinary pathology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the presence Acanthamoeba in La Pampa province and the first study at the genotype level in Argentina. © 2017 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología.