Abstract:
Acanthamoeba is ubiquitous free living amoebae in the soil and water. It is recognized as opportunistic pathogens that can cause ulcerative keratitis in contact lens wearer and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis in immune-compromised patients. The present work shows the detection of Acanthamoeba cyst in the mechanical ventilation and air conditioning system could give an indication of the ventilation system faulty. Dust swab on the supplying diffuser is a better approach when assessing the organism in the indoor ambient compared to single stage impactor sampler and dust particulates sampler.
A logistic regression model was developed based on field data and human experiences obtained from 107 sampling points from nine industrial indoor air quality assessments. The organism is statistically correlated with total fungi count and respirable particulates, PM10 found within the ambient. It is also positively correlated with the sick building syndrome experienced by the indoor occupants. Efforts should be taken to consider Acanthamoeba as one of the ambient indicator when practicing indoor air quality assessment.
