- Volume 57, Issue 3, 2008

In this study, two free-living amoebae strains, Acanthamoeba genotype T4 and Paravahlkampfia sp., which were isolated from keratitis cases are presented. While the Acanthamoeba strain was isolated as a single agent, the Paravahlkampfia strain was found together with herpes simplex virus. Neither of the patients were contact lens wearers, but they did have a history of minor corneal trauma. Amoebae were detected on non-nutrient agar covered with Escherichia coli. Based on PCR-amplified 18S rRNA-gene analysis the first isolate was identified as Acanthamoeba genotype T4 and the second as Paravahlkampfia sp. In thermotolerance tests, the maximum temperature at which trophozoites continued to divide was determined as 37 °C for this Acanthamoeba strain and 35 °C for the Paravahlkampfia strain. To the best of our knowledge, the Acanthamoeba strain described herein is the second molecularly identified Acanthamoeba strain in an Acanthamoeba keratitis patient in Turkey. However, the Paravahlkampfia isolate is believed to be the first strain that has been isolated from a keratitis patient and has been molecularly differentiated from Vahlkampfia.