Wellings F M, Amuso P T, Chang S L, Lewis A L
Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 Dec;34(6):661-7. doi: 10.1128/aem.34.6.661-667.1977.
Five cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis associated with swimming in freshwater lakes have been recorded in Florida over the past 14 years. The present study demonstrated that pathogenic Naegleria, the causative agent, is relatively widespread. Twelve of 26 lakes sampled only once yielded the amoeba. Populations in three of five lakes sampled routinely reached levels of one amoeba per 25 ml of water tested during the hot summer months. Overwintering in freshwater lake bottom sediments was demonstrated, showing that thermal-discharge pollution of waters plays a miniscule, if any, role in the maintenance of pathogenic Naegleria in nature in this semitropical area.
在过去14年里,佛罗里达州已记录了5例与在淡水湖游泳相关的原发性阿米巴脑膜脑炎病例。本研究表明,致病病原体耐格里属原虫相对广泛存在。在仅采样一次的26个湖泊中,有12个检测出了这种阿米巴原虫。在五个定期采样的湖泊中,有三个湖泊在炎热的夏季,每25毫升检测水样中的阿米巴原虫数量达到了1个。研究证实了耐格里属原虫可在淡水湖底部沉积物中越冬,这表明在这个亚热带地区,水体的热排放污染对自然界中致病耐格里属原虫的存续即便有影响,也是微乎其微的。