ABSTRACT
The genus Acanthamoeba is classified in the family Acanthamoebidae, order Centramoebida, subclass Longamoebia, class Discosea, kingdom Amoebozoa, domain Eukaryota, kingdom Animalia. On the basis of their morphological features, members of the genus Acanthamoeba are placed into three groups: designated Groups I, II, and III. Acanthamoeba undergoes two stages of development in its life cycle: motile trophozoite and dormant cyst. Despite their reputation as free-living organisms, Acanthamoeba spp. are opportunistic pathogens with the ability to cause amebic keratitis (AK), granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), cutaneous acanthamoebiasis, and sinusitis in humans. For disseminated Acanthamoeba infection such as GAE, which evolves rapidly, it is important to initiate treatment early. However, considering the current lack of options for treating and controlling Acanthamoeba infections, especially GAE, further research using laboratory models to uncover the molecular details of Acanthamoeba pathogenesis is critical. As a free-living bacterivore, Acanthamoeba is present in a diversity of environments, including soil, dust, water, air, plants, animals, and humans.
