Can Free Living Acanthamoeba Act as a Trojan Horse for  SARS-Cov-2 on Viral Survival and Transmission in the  Environment? A Narrative Review

Zahra  Mirabedini; Naveed  Ahmed Khan; Maryam  Niyyati; Ehsan  Javanmard; Mohammad  Hamedanipour; Zahra  Arab-Mazar

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v17i2.9529

Zahra Mirabedini Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Naveed Ahmed Khan Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Sharjah College of Medicine, University City, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
Maryam Niyyati Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ehsan Javanmard Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Hamedanipour Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
Zahra Arab-Mazar Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v17i2.9529

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Acanthamoeba; Interaction

Abstract

Acanthamoeba is a free-living amoeba that has been found on surfaces, air, water and various environmental sources around the world. It enters the human body through the respiratory tract via the nose. Of note, amoebae are well known to act as a reservoir for various pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria and viruses such as Adenoviruses and Mimivirus. Given that SARS-CoV-2 of the Coronaviridae family is transmitted through the respiratory tract, and the Trojan horse nature of Acanthamoeba, it has been suggested that amoebae act as a vector in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The aim of this study was to provide an opinion of the possibility of the coexistence of Acanthamoeba with SARS-CoV-2.