HARTMANNELLA VERMIFORMIS ISOLATED FROM THE CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF A YOUNG MALE-PATIENT WITH MENINGOENCEPHALITIS AND BRONCHOPNEUMONIA

Meningoencephalitis and bronchopneumonia were documented in a patient from Puebla, Mexico. The patient began with symptoms and signs of a co mmon flu and 12 days after the onset of his disease he was admitted to the hospital presenting symptoms and signs of meningoencephalitis. Th e clinical course evolved into an endocraneal hypertension syndrome wi th bronchopneumonia, coma and death. Wide-spectrum antibiotics, immuno suppressive and anti-tuberculosis therapy were unsuccessfully administ ered. Important antecedents were degree I malnutrition and repeated co ntact with polluted water. Post-mortem autopsy was not performed. Gram -positive cocci were isolated from the spinal fluid 2 days after admis sion, and then active amebae were isolated from three different sample s of the spinal fluid at days 16, 18 and 19 after admission. Such samp les were concentrated and inoculated onto specific culture media. Iden tification of amebae was based on their morphology and biochemistry. A ll amebae were Hartmannella vermiformis. Amebae were apparently not;he cause of the disease and might be considered as an opportunistic colo nizer which may have caused the evolution of the disease to become wor se.