Amoebas are irregular shaped micro-organisms which are known to cause several diseases in humans. They have been found to contaminate drinking water bodies around the world. This is the finding of a study. When found in numbers, amoebas can trigger the onset of brain inflammation which can be lethal in its serious form.

The co-author of the study, Nicholas Ashbolt from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Exposure Research Laboratory in Cincinnati and Jacqueline Thomas from the University of New South Wales in Sydney analyzed the data obtained from 26 studies which were conducted in 18 different countries.

According to their conclusion, Acanthamoeba is one of the several genera of amoeba which can host Legionella pneumophila. It is a bacterium that is responsible for virtually 100 per cent cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Ashbolt says that when Legionella resides inside an amoeba, it gets virul,ence increased. Therefore, if these bacteria have come out of an amoeba, Ashbolt says, “they are more likel,y to be infectious in us.”