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Vermamoeba vermiformis: a Free-Living Amoeba of Interest

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Free-living amoebae are protists that are widely distributed in the environment including water, soil, and air. Although the amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba are still the most studied, other species, such as Vermamoeba vermiformis (formerly Hartmannella vermiformis), are the subject of increased interest. Found in natural or man-made aquatic environments, V. vermiformis can support the multiplication of other microorganisms and is able to harbor and potentially protect pathogenic bacteria or viruses. This feature is to be noted because of the presence of this thermotolerant amoeba in hospital water networks. As a consequence, this protist could be implicated in health concerns and be indirectly responsible for healthcare-related infections. This review highlights, among others, the consequences of V. vermiformis relationships with other microorganisms and shows that this free-living amoeba species is therefore of interest for public health.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Jeffrey Arsham for revising the English text and to Prof. Yann Hechard for his helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, UMR CNRS 7267, Equipe Microbiologie de l’Eau, Université de Poitiers, 1 rue Georges Bonnet, 86022, Poitiers Cedex, France

    Vincent Delafont, Marie-Helene Rodier, Elodie Maisonneuve & Estelle Cateau

  2. Laboratoire de parasitologie et mycologie, CHU La Milètrie, 86021, Poitiers Cedex, France

    Marie-Helene Rodier & Estelle Cateau

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  1. Vincent Delafont
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  2. Marie-Helene Rodier
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  3. Elodie Maisonneuve
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  4. Estelle Cateau
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Correspondence to Estelle Cateau.

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Delafont, V., Rodier, MH., Maisonneuve, E. et al. Vermamoeba vermiformis: a Free-Living Amoeba of Interest. Microb Ecol 76, 991–1001 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-018-1199-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-018-1199-8

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