Walker C W
Clinical Microbiology Department and Public Health Laboratory, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, England, UK.
Br J Biomed Sci. 1996 Jun;53(2):146-51.
Acanthamoeba spp. are ubiquitous free-living protozoa found in a wide range of environmental niches. They are resistant to disinfectants, temperature variation and desiccation and are responsible for two recognised diseases in humans, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and keratitis. Both infections are rare, although the latter is currently receiving more attention following the association between Acanthamoeba and the wearing of contact lenses. Laboratory diagnosis is unusual but not beyond the bounds of most routine clinical microbiology departments. In this review the various aspects surrounding the ecology, pathogenicity and laboratory detection of Acanthamoeba spp. are considered.
棘阿米巴属是广泛存在于各种环境生态位中的自由生活原生动物。它们对消毒剂、温度变化和干燥具有抗性，可导致人类两种已知疾病，即肉芽肿性阿米巴脑炎和角膜炎。尽管后者因棘阿米巴与佩戴隐形眼镜之间的关联目前受到更多关注，但这两种感染都很罕见。实验室诊断并不常见，但大多数常规临床微生物学部门也并非无法开展。在本综述中，我们将探讨棘阿米巴属在生态学、致病性和实验室检测等方面的各种情况。
