Isolation and Identification of <i>Naegleria</i> Species in Irrigation Channels for Recreational Use in Mexicali Valley, Mexico
Patricia Bonilla-Lemus,
Saúl Rojas-Hernández,
Elizabeth Ramírez-Flores,
Diego A. Castillo-Ramírez,
Alejandro Cruz Monsalvo-Reyes,
Miguel A. Ramírez-Flores,
Karla Barrón-Graciano,
María Reyes-Batlle,
Jacob Lorenzo-Morales,
María Maricela Carrasco-Yépez
Affiliations
Patricia Bonilla-Lemus
Laboratorio de Microbiología Ambiental, Grupo CyMA, UIICSE, FES Iztacala, UNAM. Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla de Baz 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
Saúl Rojas-Hernández
Laboratorio de Inmunobiología Molecular y Celular, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Salvador Díaz Mirón esq. Plan de San Luis S/N, Miguel Hidalgo, Casco de Santo Tomas, Ciudad de Mexico 11340, CDMX, Mexico
Elizabeth Ramírez-Flores
Laboratorio de Microbiología Ambiental, Grupo CyMA, UIICSE, FES Iztacala, UNAM. Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla de Baz 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
Diego A. Castillo-Ramírez
Laboratorio de Inmunobiología Molecular y Celular, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Salvador Díaz Mirón esq. Plan de San Luis S/N, Miguel Hidalgo, Casco de Santo Tomas, Ciudad de Mexico 11340, CDMX, Mexico
Alejandro Cruz Monsalvo-Reyes
Departamento de la Unidad de Secuenciación, Bioquímica Molecular, UBIPRO, FES Iztacala, UNAM. Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla de Baz 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
Miguel A. Ramírez-Flores
Laboratorio de Microbiología Ambiental, Grupo CyMA, UIICSE, FES Iztacala, UNAM. Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla de Baz 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
Karla Barrón-Graciano
Laboratorio de Microbiología Ambiental, Grupo CyMA, UIICSE, FES Iztacala, UNAM. Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla de Baz 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
María Reyes-Batlle
Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain
María Maricela Carrasco-Yépez
Laboratorio de Microbiología Ambiental, Grupo CyMA, UIICSE, FES Iztacala, UNAM. Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla de Baz 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
Members of the genus Naegleria are free-living amoebae that are widely distributed in water and soil environments. Moreover, Naegleria fowleri is a pathogenic amoeba species that causes a fatal disease in the central nervous system known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. Since most reported infections due to N. fowleri are reported in recreational waters worldwide, this study was aimed to describe the presence of these amoebic genus in Mexicali Valley irrigation channels of recreational use. A total of nine water samples were collected and processed by triplicate, in nine different sites of the Valley. After filtering and culturing the samples, plates were examined, and the observed amoebae were morphologically identified at the genus level. In addition, the pathogenicity of these amoebic isolates was checked, and molecular characterization was performed by PCR/sequencing. The results revealed the presence of Naegleria spp. in all the channels sampled. Finally, molecular identification confirmed the presence of five different species of Naegleria: N. fowleri, N. australiensis, N. gruberi, N. clarki and N. pagei. The presence of these protists, particularly N. fowleri, should be considered as a potential human health risk in the region.
