Occurrence of <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> in Arizona drinking water supply wells

Kelly, Rep; Marciano-Cabral, Francine; Charles, Philippe

doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.2009.tb09989.x

Cited by 15 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The amoeba is found in warm freshwaters across most continents and can transition between three distinguishable forms: a durable cyst, trophozoite amoeba and mobile flagellate [1]. Its presence in water is a health risk for people participating in recreational activities involving bodies of water [2]. The disease is acquired when N. fowleri trophozoites forcefully enter through the nasal cavity, invade the olfactory neuroepithelium and follow the olfactory nerve to the brain, which is their final destination [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive iron utilization compensates for the lack of an inducible uptake system in Naegleria fowleri and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention

et al. 2020

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Naegleria fowleri is a single-cell organism living in warm freshwater that can become a deadly human pathogen known as a brain-eating amoeba. The condition caused by N. fowleri, primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, is usually a fatal infection of the brain with rapid and severe onset. Iron is a common element on earth and a crucial cofactor for all living organisms. However, its bioavailable form can be scarce in certain niches, where it becomes a factor that limits growth. To obtain iron, many pathogens use different machineries to exploit an iron-withholding strategy that has evolved in mammals and is important to host-parasite interactions. The present study demonstrates the importance of iron in the biology of N. fowleri and explores the plausibility of exploiting iron as a potential target for therapeutic intervention. We used different biochemical and analytical methods to explore the effect of decreased iron availability on the cellular processes of the amoeba. We show that, under iron starvation, nonessential, iron-dependent, mostly cytosolic pathways in N. fowleri are downregulated, while the metal is utilized in the mitochondria to maintain vital respiratory processes. Surprisingly, N. fowleri fails to respond to acute shortages of iron by inducing the reductive iron uptake system that seems to be the main iron-obtaining strategy of the parasite. Our findings suggest that iron restriction may be used to slow the progression of infection, which may make the difference between life and death for patients.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive iron utilization compensates for the lack of an inducible uptake system in Naegleria fowleri and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention

et al. 2020

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“…L. pneumophila , − P. aeruginosa , , M. avium , ,, and N. fowelri ,− all have been detected in residential plumbing. These organisms all respond differently to various environmental factors ,,, (i.e., building age, water age, water temperature, heater type, disinfectant type/concentration, and symbiotic relationships), which may cause them to proliferate within drinking water systems .…”

Section: Baseline Water Quality In Residencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review on the Factors that Influence Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens: From Building Entry to Fixtures in Residences

Logan-Jackson

Batista

Healy

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Residential buildings provide unique conditions for opportunistic premise plumbing pathogen (OPPP) exposure via aerosolized water droplets produced by showerheads, faucets, and tubs. The objective of this review was to critically evaluate the existing literature that assessed the impact of potentially enhancing conditions to OPPP occurrence associated with residential plumbing and to point out knowledge gaps. Comprehensive studies on the topic were found to be lacking. Major knowledge gaps identified include the assessment of OPPP growth in the residential plumbing, from building entry to fixtures, and evaluation of the extent of the impact of typical residential plumbing design (e.g., trunk and branch and manifold), components (e.g., valves and fixtures), water heater types and temperature setting of operation, and common pipe materials (copper, PEX, and PVC/CPVC). In addition, impacts of the current plumbing code requirements on OPPP responses have not been assessed by any study and a lack of guidelines for OPPP risk management in residences was identified. Finally, the research required to expand knowledge on OPPP amplification in residences was discussed.

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“…It is found in warm fresh waters across most continents and can alter between three distinguishable forms: a durable cyst, trophozoite amoeba and mobile flagellar form [1]. Its presence is dangerous for people partaking in recreational activities involving water bodies [2]. The disease is acquired when N. fowleri trophozoites forcefully enter through the nasal cavity and intrude the olfactory neuroepithelium [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive iron utilization compensates for the lack of an inducible uptake system inNaegleria fowleriand represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention

Arbon

Ženíšková

Mach

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Warm fresh water is a natural habitat for many single-celled organisms, including protozoan parasites such as the infamous brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, which can become pathogenic for mammals, including humans. The condition caused by N. fowleri is known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, which is a generic and usually fatal infection of the brain with rapid onset. One of the important factors influencing a wide spectrum of pathogens, including N. fowleri, is the bioavailability of iron in the environment. The strategy of withholding iron evolved in mammalian hosts, and the different strategies of pathogens to obtain it are an important part of host-parasite interactions.In the present study, we employ different biochemical and analytical methods to explore the effect of decreased iron availability on the cellular processes of N. fowleri. We show that under iron starvation, nonessential, iron-dependent, mostly cytosolic pathways in N. fowleri are downregulated, while the metal is utilized in the mitochondria to maintain vital respiratory processes. Surprisingly, N. fowleri fails to respond to acute shortages of iron by the induction of a reductive iron uptake system that seems to be the main iron-obtaining strategy of the parasite. Our work aims to demonstrate the importance of mitochondrial iron in the biology of N. fowleri and to explore the plausibility of exploiting it as a potential target for therapeutic interference.Author SummaryNaegleria fowleri is undoubtedly one of the deadliest parasites of humans, hence the name “brain-eating amoeba”. Being dangerous, but rare, it may be regarded as a highly understudied pathogen of humans. Unfortunately, the symptoms of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis may be confused with much more common bacterial meningoencephalitis; therefore, it is quite probable that many infections caused by N. fowleri have been misdiagnosed as bacterial infections without further inquiry. In many cases, fast diagnosis is vital for commencing the correct therapy, and even then, complete success of the treatment is very rare. Our laboratory focuses on the uptake and intracellular metabolism of metals in unicellular eukaryotes, so we decided to explore the biology of N. fowleri from this aspect. Changes in the proteome, as a direct effect of iron-deficient conditions, were described, and these data were used to further explore the ways in which N. fowleri responds to these conditions on a cellular level and how its biology changes. Based on these findings, we propose that the struggle of N. fowleri to obtain iron from its host could be exploited for therapeutic interference purposes in primary amoebic meningoencephalitis patients.

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Occurrence of Naegleria fowleri in Arizona drinking water supply wells

Cited by 15 publications

References 18 publications

Adaptive iron utilization compensates for the lack of an inducible uptake system in Naegleria fowleri and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention

Adaptive iron utilization compensates for the lack of an inducible uptake system in Naegleria fowleri and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention

A Critical Review on the Factors that Influence Opportunistic Premise Plumbing Pathogens: From Building Entry to Fixtures in Residences

Adaptive iron utilization compensates for the lack of an inducible uptake system inNaegleria fowleriand represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention

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