Wafaa Mohamed Hikal, Mohamed Dkhil
Free-living amoebae are ubiquitous in nature, with some species causing infections in humans and animals. Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeboflagellate, is the only species known to infect humans globally, causing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a severe and often fatal brain infection. Infection occurs through the nasal entry when swimming or diving in warm freshwater environments. This study investigates the presence of pathogenic N. fowleri in Egyptian swimming pools, examining 100 water, dust, and swab samples from five pools in Cairo. Thermo-tolerant Naegleria-like amoebae were detected in 56% of samples, with the highest incidence in summer. Nested PCR using Mp2Cl5 gene primers specific to N. fowleri identified the amoeba in 42.2% of culture-positive samples. The majority of positive samples were water, followed by swab and dust samples. These findings suggest swimming pools as potential sources of Naegleria infection, highlighting the need for molecular diagnostic methods for rapid identification.