Research in Medicine

Background: Free-living amoebae, which are called as amphizoic amoebae, could live in various environmental sources such as water, soil, dust and also human and animal tissues. According to possible contamination of hot springs to free living amoebae and developing related disease such as keratitis and encephalitis in people at risk and the lack of knowledge regarding their distribution in hot springs of Mazandaran province, the preset study was conducted in 2014.
Methods: In this discretional study, samples were taken from 22 hot springs in Mazandaran province. Three samples with 500 ml volume were taken in sterile bottles and transferred to laboratory of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Based on culture and morphological criteria, hot springs contamination to free living amoebae was surveyed.
Results: Out of 22 hot springs in Mazandaran province, 17 (77.27%) springs were contaminated to free living amoebae. The most prevalent amoebae were Vermamoebae (50%) following with Vahlkampfiids (45.45%), Acanthamoeba (40.9%), Vannella (9.09%) and platyamoebae (4.54%).
Conclusion: It seems hot springs contamination to free living amoebae is relevant and this could be a health hazard for endemic people, tourists and travelers who use these hot springs. To this end, researches with purpose of decreasing the diseases due to free living amoebae in hot springs of Mazandaran province and other hot springs in the region are important priorities and also posting of alarming signs along the hot spring are recommended for awareness of people at risk.