(Image of Keratitis infection by A. polyphaga parasite.)

Parasites are now considered to be an emerging infectious disease due to rise in international travel, contamination of water supplies, return of armed forces from overseas, the sexual revolution, worldwide population explosion, increase in consumption of industrially processed foods and most of all, ignorance where most people are unaware of parasite risk.  Several species of the Acanthamoeba can cause a chronic, progressive ocular infection of the eye which is both painful and potentially sight-threatening.  This particular species A. polyphaga, will act as a reservoir for Simkania negevensis, a recently discovered chlamydia-like microorganism which causes respiratory disease in humans.  The organism infects the amoeba and can survive in the cysts for long periods of time.