ABSTRACT

In the study, it is aimed to determine the prevalence of Acanthamoeba and other free-living amoeba (FLA) species in the swab samples obtained from conjunctiva and lower eye lid.

For this purpose, swab samples from the 500 patients’eye lid and conjunctiva were obtained who admitted to Cumhuriyet University, Research and Application Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology with variety of reasons. Swab samples were carried out using sterile cotton swab in steril tubes. The swab samples were inoculated onto non-nutrient agar (NNA). Live Escherichia coli was used as food source for the growth of the FLA. The NNA plates were incubated at 300 C and examined daily using ligth microscope for two weeks. For morphotyping of the trophozoites and cysts of the FLA were used taxonomic keys.

Two of the 500 swab samples (0.4%) were positive for FLA. One of them (0.2%) were identified as Acanthamoeba spp. and other was identified as Hartmannella spp. However, these patients did not reveal any complaints yet.

FLA both themselves and bacteria carrying in their body as reservoirs are potantial pathogen. The rapid spread of Acanthamoeba keratitis in recent years reveal that these microorganisims are in contact with the eyes. (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2015; 39: 194-9)

Keywords: Acanthamoeba, Hartmannella, conjunctiva