Prevalence of acanthamoeba SPP. In tasmanian intensive care clinical specimens

Abstract

Aims To explore the possibility of colonisation of the respiratory and urinary tracts of intensive care patients with free-living amoebae. Methods Thirty-nine catheter urine, 50 endotracheal trap sputa and one general ward sputum sample from 45 patients and nine intensive care unit (ICU) environmental water samples were collected over a four and half month period in the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) from August 2011. Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee (Tasmania) Network (H0011618). Results Acanthamoeba species was cultured and detected by PCR in two sputum samples from a single patient, taken one week apart. An Acanthamoeba species was also cultured from one of nine ICU hand basin water samples. Discussion Colonisation of ICU patient’s respiratory tracts with Acanthamoeba spp. does occur. This may have significance for the role of Acanthamoebae as a source of bacterial pathogens in intensive therapy patient’s respiratory tracts.