Free-living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed in nature (soil, hot springs, air) and in the human environment (sanitary facilities, drinking water networks, swimming pools, hospital environments, etc.). FLAs belonging to the genera Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia, Naegleria and Sappinia are important causes of rare, but often serious, diseases in humans and animals. All four genera cause acute and near fatal infections of the central nervous system. Some of them can also cause skin, eye, sinus, lung and kidney infections. In Guadeloupe, in 2008, a 9-year-old boy died of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAD) caused by Naegleria fowleri (commonly known as “brain-eating amoeba”).
FLAs also play an important role as replication and dispersal vehicles for pathogenic bacteria such as Legionella spp., Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycobacterium avium, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Francisella tularensis. These amoeba-resistant bacteria (ARBs) are a potential health concern as they may also be resistant to macrophage phagocytosis. FLA can be used as a tool to identify and isolate new potentially pathogenic ARB species from a variety of sources. Many intra-amoebic bacteria have been described so far. However, it is likely that the entire FLA microbiome is not fully described. In this work, we are interested in characterizing the microbiome of FLAs isolated from the different stages of water potabilization in Guadeloupe and in evaluating the potential of FLAs to propagate pathogenic ARBs that would impact water quality in Guadeloupe.
