(Images depict a trophozoite A. culbertsoni parasite and an infected cornea with keratitis. )
                                               
A. culbertsoni, a parasite that is present in aquatic environments, plays a critical role in the transmission of the bacteria responsible for Cholera, which is a disease caused by Vibrio cholerae transmitted through contaminated food and water.  Since A. culbertsoni resists environmental changes the V. cholerae will seek refuge within.

In a case of amoebic meningitis, a 40 year old male patient had cerebrospinal fluid flowing excessively from the nose before the menegitis developed.  A. culbertsoni was repeatedly found in that fluid.  There has been an increase in the number of cases of Acanthamoeba infections occurring worldwide.  This parasite's life cycle includes an active feeding trophozoite stage and a dormant cyst stage.  The trophozoite feeds on bacteria and retains them as a host, and the cyst will as well.

A. culbertsoni has also been implicated as a causative agent of keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis.  The cystic stage of the parasite's growth is the most damaging to human infection.  As with other parasite species in the Acanthamoeba family, the parasite can enter the skin through a cut, wound, or through the nostrils.  Once inside the body, the amoeba can travel to the lungs and through the bloodstream to other vital parts of the body such as the central nervous system known as the brain and spinal cord.