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Home⇛Health Sciences Journal⇛vol. 14 no. 2 (2025)

Isolation and detection of Acanthamoeba spp. in Tadlac Lake in Los Baños, Laguna

Therese Suratos | Jeune Marc William Paclibar | Lovely Camille Sayson | Patrick Relacion | Margarette De Los Santos | Jeremiah Gabrial Eleazar | Michaela Guingab | Simon Jorel Ngo | Kate Yzabhelle Ongtangco | Samantha Irene Razote | Bill Ritchie Torre | Richmond Sarmiento | Samantha Kary Valencia

Discipline: medicine by specialism

 

Abstract:

Introduction Acanthamoeba spp. are free-living amoebae commonly found in aquatic environments, with pathogenic genotypes capable of causing severe diseases such as acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Environmental factors, particularly pH, influence their survival and distribution. Tadlac Lake located at Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines is a Class C freshwater body used for aquaculture, recreation, and irrigation. To date, no study has specifically assessed Acanthamoeba colonization in Tadlac Lake. Methods In this study, detection of the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. and evaluation of pH as a potential factor influencing their persistence in Tadlac Lake was conducted. One-time sampling was conducted from nine sites of the lake. Surface water samples were collected at a depth of 10-20 cm, filtered through 1.2 um glass microfiber filters, and cultured on non-nutrient agar plates lawned with live Escherichia coli. Plates were incubated at 30°C for 14 days and examined daily under light microscopy, while pH was measured in situ. Results Cyst-like structures resembling amoebae were observed, but these did not exhibit definitive Acanthamoeba morphology under light microscopy. No Acanthamoeba spp. were confirmed and the recorded pH levels ranged from 8.72 to 10.51, exceeding the optimal growth range (7.0-9.0) reported for the organism. Conclusion Findings of this study suggest alkaline conditions may have inhibited the proliferation and persistence of Acanthamoeba spp. in the lake. These findings highlight pH as a potential limiting factor for Acanthamoeba survival in alkaline freshwater bodies and underscore the importance of integrating physicochemical monitoring into pathogen surveillance frameworks.



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