OMG THIS IS..._BaLaMuThIa_MaNdRiLlArIs..NO_WAY

1.

Balamuthia mandrillaris
Anohin D. A.
Faculty of General Medicine, 2nd year, Group 16
Ryazan 2025

2.

• Taxonomic Status:
• Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free‑living
amoeba capable of infecting humans and
animals.
• It belongs to the family Balamuthiidae and
causes granulomatous amoebic encephalitis
(GAE).

3.

• Discovery:
• First identified in 1986 in the brain of a
mandrill.
• Recognized as a human pathogen in 1990,
with cases reported worldwide.

4.

• Morphology:
• • Two forms:
trophozoite and cyst.
• • Trophozoites: ~15–
60 µm.
• • Cysts: ~15–25 µm,
characterized by a
three‑layered wall.

5.

• Ecology and Habitat:
• Found in soil, dust, and occasionally in water.
• Organism survives in diverse environmental
conditions due to its resistant cyst stage.

6.

• Transmission:
• Likely enters the body via:
Skin wounds
contaminated with soil
or dust
Inhalation of airborne
particles
• No confirmed
human‑to‑human
transmission except rare
transplant‑associated cases.

7.

• Pathogenesis:
• The amoeba can disseminate through the
bloodstream and invade the central nervous
system.
• It leads to granulomatous amoebic
encephalitis (GAE), a severe and often fatal
disease.

8.

Symptoms progress slowly and may include:
Headache, fever
Behavioral changes
Seizures
Focal neurological deficits

9.

• Diagnosis:
• Diagnosis is challenging and often delayed.
• Methods:
• • PCR testing
• • Immunohistochemistry
• • Microscopic examination of biopsy material

10.

• Treatment:
• Treatment involves multi‑drug regimens
including antiparasitic and antimicrobial
agents.
• Survival is rare, but early diagnosis
significantly improves outcomes.

11.

• Epidemiology and Conclusion:
• Cases occur globally, with slightly higher
incidence in warmer climates.
• Balamuthia mandrillaris is a rare yet highly
dangerous amoeba, requiring increased
clinical awareness and improved diagnostic
approaches.