Identification of Naegleria species in recreational areas in Hornos, Sonora

Abstract

BY MEANS OF MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES MORE THAN 47 SPECIES OF THE GENUS NAEGLERIA HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, BUT IN MEXICO, ONLY 4 OF THESE SPECIES HAVE BEEN SO IDENTIFIED. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO IDENTIFY A HIGHER NUMBER OF NAEGLERIA SPP. IN RECREATIONAL AREAS IN HORNOS, SONORA. NINE SITES WERE SELECTED AND SAMPLING WAS PERFORMED FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER OF 2004. FIFTEEN ISOLATED SPECIES WERE IDENTIFIED GENETICALLY BY MEANS OF SEQUENCING RIBOSOMAL DNA, 9 SPECIMENS AS N. LOVANIENSIS, 5 AS N. TIHANGENSIS AND 1 AS N. AMERICANA. IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT N. AMERICANA AND N. TIHANGENSIS ARE REPORTED IN THIS REGION. THE LATTER SPECIES IS CLOSELY RELATED TO ANOTHER PATHOGENIC AMOEBA, N. AUSTRALIENSIS. ONE OF THE ISOLATED STRAINS OF N. LOVANIENSIS IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT DIFFERS BY 1 BP FROM THE OTHER STRAINS OF THIS SPECIES.