Philippine E-Journals

Acanthamoeba spp. Found in Freshwater Fishes From Selected Areas of the Philippines - A Preliminary Report

Giovanni Milanez | Frederick Ramirez Masangkay | Mary Rose Lirio | Eleni Golomazou | Bernardino Hagosojos | Panagiotis Karanis

Discipline: molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry

 

Abstract:

Acanthamoeba spp. are ubiquitous organisms that have been adapted to different types of habitats and conditions. The study of freshwater fishes has become the interest of many researchers for their ability to harbor parasitic organisms, and they also play a significant role as intermediate hosts in the transmission cycle to humans. This study examines the Acanthamoebae spp. present in a variety of edible freshwater fish in the Philippines. A total of 14 different fish species (six fish per species) were collected from major lakes all over the Philippines. Fish intestines were aseptically dissected, pooled, processed, and cultured in nonnutrient agar lawned with Escherichia coli. Culture plates were examined for 14 days to determine their response to amoebal growth. Thirty-one percent of the fish species sampled were found to be positive for amoebic growth. Genomic DNAs were extracted and examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using Acanthamoeba-specific primers. Further sequencing of PCR amplicons confirmed the presence of four Acanthamoeba species (A. mauritanensis, A. polyphaga, A. castellanii, and A. lenticulata) from the culture-positive samples. This study shows the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. from edible freshwater fishes in the Philippines. The presence of potentially pathogenic free-living amoebae like Acanthamoeba in edible freshwater fish may pose a public health risk. Although the effects of direct consumption of Acanthamoeba-infected fish are yet to be established, the potential of other means of infection, as discussed previously, needs to be taken into serious perspective.