[Review article: occurrence, parasitism and pathogenetic potency of free-living amoeba].

In areals of human life free living amoebae (FLA) are widely distributed and various possibilities to infect men as well as animals do exist under specific circumstances. While Naegleria species, respectively, Naegleria fowleri give rise to fulminant fatal processes of CNS Acanthamoeba infections mostly have a chronical course and immunodeficiency could be a favouring factor for acanthamoebiasis. Naegleria amebae may invade nasal mucosa after having contacts to warm and contaminated water, on the other hand Acanthamoeba infections develop when damaged skin come into contact with soil or slug or after inhalation of ameba cysts. From various reasons of hospital hygiene findings of FLA in water of stomatological units and physiotherapeutic centres, moreover also in dialysis fluids are of interest and give rise to considerations for specific measures of prevention.