109
Table 1.
Acanthamoeba
is a genus of amoeba commonly found
associated with biofilms in the premise plumbing of building water systems.
Many disease causing bacteria, including
Legionella
,
Pseudomonas
and
Mycobacteria
are parasites of
Acanthamoeba
. Growth of bacteria within
amoeba and then lytic release into the environment results in amplification
to potentially dangerous levels of bacteria.
Table 1
Bacterial Parasites
Human Diseases
References
Afipia spp.
Possible link to septic arthritis, bone marrow infections
La Scola 2000
Rickettsiales
Infections transmitted by ticks and other insects
Fritsche 1999
Burkholderia
pseudomallei
Melioidosis (infections that can lead to pulmonary, bloodstream,
and/or organ disease)
Inglis 2000
Candidatus Odyssella
thessalonicensis
Unknown. A newly described genus and species of obligate
intracellular
Acanthamoeba
parasite
Birtles 2000
Chlamydia
pneumoniae
Community-acquired pneumonia and/or bronchitis; possible
association with atherosclerotic vascular disease and with
asthma. Causative agent in Psittacosis.
Essig 1997
Coxiella burnetti
Community-acquired pneumonia
Maurin 1999
Ehrlichia-
like
organisms
Unknown. Possible link to ehrlichosis (bacterial infections
transmitted by ticks)
Michel 1995
Francisella tularensis
Tularemia
Abd 2003
Helicobacter pylori
Peptic ulcer disease (90% of all ulcers)
Winieck 2002
Legionella spp.
Legionellosis
(Legionnaires’ Disease)
Rowbotham 1980
Barker 1992
Legionella
-like
amebic parasites
Potentially causes community-acquired pneumonia
Adeleke 1996
Listeria
monocytogenes
Listeriosis (food poisoning)
Ly 1990
Mycobacterium spp.
Bacteremia, multi-organ bacterial disease, pulmonary infections,
especially in HIV/AIDS patients
Steinert 1998
Neochlamydia
harmannellae
Potential
Chlamydia
-like intracellular pathogen
Horn 2000
Parachlamydia
acanthamoeba
Possible community-acquired pneumonia
Greub 2002
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
Pneumonia, folliculitis, burn infections
Greub 2004
Simkania negevensis
(in the Bacterial
Order
Chlamydiales
)
Associated with bronchiolitis in infants and pneumonia in adults.
Chlamydia
-like intracellular pathogen
Kahane 2001
