Isolation and Identification of Species in Irrigation Channels for Recreational Use in Mexicali Valley, Mexico.

Members of the genus are free-living amoebae that are widely distributed in water and soil environments. Moreover, is a pathogenic amoeba species that causes a fatal disease in the central nervous system known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. Since most reported infections due to are reported in recreational waters worldwide, this study was aimed to describe the presence of these amoebic genus in Mexicali Valley irrigation channels of recreational use. A total of nine water samples were collected and processed by triplicate, in nine different sites of the Valley. After filtering and culturing the samples, plates were examined, and the observed amoebae were morphologically identified at the genus level. In addition, the pathogenicity of these amoebic isolates was checked, and molecular characterization was performed by PCR/sequencing. The results revealed the presence of spp. in all the channels sampled. Finally, molecular identification confirmed the presence of five different species of and . The presence of these protists, particularly , should be considered as a potential human health risk in the region.