| In Peoria, Arizona during the autumn season of 2002, two young children died from Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) infections. Naegleria fowleri, was detected in the residual water from household pipes and sinks and was linked to the cause of PAM infections that resulted in the death of both children. In this study, we tested the same groundwater in Peoria, Arizona that was suspected to be contaminated by N. fowleri, for the presence of N. fowleri. Results of the study indicated the presence of N. fowleri in 12 samples. Five samples were analyzed for bacterial communities, of which three were PCR positive for N. fowleri. Analysis of bacterial communities present in the Peoria groundwater samples indicated the presence of beta-proteobacteria such as Caldimonas manganoxidans, Leptothrix species, Aquabacterium species and bacteria of other genus such as Chloroflexus, Cytophaga, Flexibacter, Halochromatium, Meiothermus, Nitrospira, Nocardia, Rasbo bacterium, and Thermus. |
