FIRST DETECTION AND MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF NAEGLERIA FOWLERI FROM GROUND WATER, EGYPTA.Z. AI-HERRAWY AND M.A. GADAbstract Members of genus Naegleria are free-living amoebae distributed in various aquatic environments till now. Naegleria fowleri is the only species that can cause fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in humans. A total of 52 ground water samples were collected from four cities in Giza governorate, Egypt, for detection of Naegleria species using non-nutrient agar medium incubated at 45oC. The isolated strains of Naegleria spp. were identified based on the morphologic criteria of trophozoite, flagellated and cyst stages. Molecular characterization of the isolated strains of amoebae was performed by using PCR. The obtained results showed that heat-tolerant Naegleria spp. was found in 23.1% of the examined wells. Naegleria fowleri (a primary amoebic encephalitis agent) was identified by PCR in 7.7 % of the examined wells. Naegleria fowleri was detected in ground water from El-Ayyat and El-Badrashin cities, but not from Auseem and El-Hawamdia cities. To the best of our knowledge, there was no previous record concerning Naegleria fowleri in ground water in Egypt.
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