ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Acanthamoeba castellanii in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Free-living amoebae (FLA) belonging to the Acanthamoeba and Sappinia genera, including Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleria fowleri species, are mitochondriate and aerobic unicellular eukaryotic protists. A hostile condition of the pH, temperature, or nutritive conditions induces a process called encystation in Acanthamoeba. Humans are exposed to Acanthamoeba antigens via multiple sources in their lifetime. Evidence to support the latter is the fact that the human immune system mounts a granulomatous response, instead of an acute inflammatory reaction, to the presence of Acanthamoeba trophozoites in the tissues. The pathogenic Acanthamoeba spp. cause rare infections in humans with the patients with AK dominating over cases of GAE, and pulmonary and skin infection.
