morphological identification of acanthamoeba spp. isolated from malignant patients from zanjan, iran

background: genus acanthamoeba belongs to free-living amoebae, which could pose risk to the central nervous system and cornea and is considered to be a significant health concern. the present study aimed to evaluate the presence of acanthamoeba spp. in malignant patients in zanjan, located in the northwest of iran, using morphological methods. methods: nasal specimens were collected from 100 malignant patients using swabs in the hospitals in zanjan, iran during july 2017-august 2018. the samples were cultured on non-nutrient agar, and the acanthamoeba genus was identified based on the morphological characteristics. results: based on the morphological features, six samples (6%) were positive for acanthamoeba spp. conclusion: this was the first report on the presence of acanthamoeba spp. in malignant they patients in zanjan city, which provides further evidence on the existence of acanthamoeba spp. the findings emphasize that special attention should be paid to immunocompromised patients in order to prevent the infections associated with acanthamoeba spp.