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Prokaryotic microbial ecology as an ecosurveillance tool for eukaryotic pathogen colonisation: Meiothermus and Naegleria fowleri

Water Research
By: , , , , , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.121426

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Abstract

Naegleria fowleri has been detected in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) in Australia, Pakistan and the United States and is the causative agent of the highly fatal disease primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Previous small scale field studies have shown that Meiothermus may be a potential biomarker for N. fowleri. However, correlations between predictive biomarkers in small sample sizes often breakdown when applied to larger more representative datasets. This study represents one of the largest and most rigorous temporal investigations of Naegleria fowleri colonisation in an operational DWDS in the world and measured the association of Meiothermus and N. fowleri over a significantly larger space and time in the DWDS. A total of 232 samples were collected from five sites over three-years (2016-2018), which contained 29 positive N. fowleri samples. Two specific operational taxonomic units assigned to M. chliarophilus and M. hypogaeus, were significantly associated with N. fowleri presence. Furthermore, inoculation experiments demonstrated that Meiothermus was required to support N. fowleri growth in field-collected biofilms. This validates Meiothermus as prospective biological tool to aid in the identification and surveillance of N. fowleri colonisable sites.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Prokaryotic microbial ecology as an ecosurveillance tool for eukaryotic pathogen colonisation: Meiothermus and Naegleria fowleri
Series title Water Research
DOI 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121426
Volume 254
Year Published 2024
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) WY-MT Water Science Center
Description 121426, 8 p.
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