Acanthamoeba
Sign in to saveAcanthamoeba is a genus of amoebae that are commonly recovered from soil, fresh water, and other habitats. The genus Acanthamoeba has two stages in its life cycle, the metabolically active trophozoite stage and a dormant, stress-resistant cyst stage. In nature, Acanthamoeba species are generally free-living bacterivores. However, they are also opportunistic pathogens able to cause serious and potentially fatal infections in humans and other animals.
Species
GENUS
- KingdomProtozoa
- PhylumAmoebozoa
- ClassLobosa
- OrderAmoebida
- FamilyAcanthamoebidae
棘变形虫属，是变形虫的一种，是土壤里最常见的原生动物。在淡水和其他動物棲地都能发现。
via GBIF
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 3
- Family
- Acanthamoebidae
- Collections
- USNM, NHMUK
- Recorded in
- Vietnam
Research
6,406 papers- Pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amoebae: Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri, and Sappinia diploidea.FEMS immunology and medical microbiology · 2007
- [Acanthamoeba keratitis].Journal francais d'ophtalmologie · 2014
- Acanthamoeba in Southeast Asia - Overview and Challenges.The Korean journal of parasitology · 2019
- Acanthamoeba keratitis.The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ · 2013
- Acanthamoeba spp.: Neglected Protists in Veterinary Medicine.Acta parasitologica · 2025
via PubMed
~13 min read
Encyclopedic overview
15 sectionsContents
- Distribution
- Role in disease
- Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE)
- Acanthamoebic keratitis
- As a bacterial reservoir
- Ecology
- Physiology
- Role as a model organism
- Endosymbionts
- Giant viruses
- Diversity
- Etymology
- See also
- References
- External links
Acanthamoeba is a genus of amoebae that are commonly recovered from soil, fresh water, and other habitats. The genus Acanthamoeba has two stages in its life cycle, the metabolically active trophozoite stage and a dormant, stress-resistant cyst stage. In nature, Acanthamoeba species are generally free-living bacterivores. However, they are also opportunistic pathogens able to cause serious and potentially fatal infections in humans and other animals.
== Distribution == Acanthamoeba spp. are among the most prevalent protozoa found in the environment. They are distributed worldwide, and have been isolated from soil, air, sewage, seawater, chlorinated swimming pools, domestic tap water, bottled water, dental treatment units, hospitals, air-conditioning units, and contact lens cases. Additionally, they have been isolated from human skin, nasal cavities, throats, and intestines, as well as plants and other mammals.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Acanthamoeba” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.