| Acanthamoeba spp. (Rhizopoda; hartmanellidae) is a free-living amoeba which is common
in a variety of habitats, including fresh water, soil, and sewage. In humans they
can cause a sub acute or chronic infection called granulomatous amoebic encephalitis.
Acanthamoeba is frequently found in contact lenses solutions, thereby causing vision-threatening
keratitis. Despite morphological similarities with Naegleria and other free-living
amoebae, sequence comparisons arising from small and large ribosomal RNA subunits
suggest Acantamoeba being as closely related to higher plants and vertebrates as
they are to various protist genera. |
