Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 7 4 2015 10 13 22 26 EN M. Rahdar Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center & Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz JundiShapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. M. Niyyati Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran. M. Salehi Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center & Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz JundiShapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. M. Feghhi Department of Ophthalmology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. M. Makvandi Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz JundiShapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. M. Pourmehdi Department of Epidemiology and Statistical, School of Veterinary, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran. S. Farnia Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran. 2015 10 13 2015 10 13 Background: Acanthamoeba spp. are free-living amoebae commonly found in the environmental sources such as water, soil, and air. This ubiquitous amoeba is the causative agent of amoebic kerati- tis (AK). The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. in water and soil sources in Ahvaz City, Khuzestan Province, southern Iran. Methods: In general, 110 samples of water and soil were taken from different localities of Ahvaz including agricultural canals, rivers, and swimming pools. Filtration and cultivation were carried out on non-nutrient agar medium (NNA). Axenic cultivation was performed for all of positive isolates. PCR analysis was conducted on positive samples. Sequencing was done for 15 PCR products. Geno - types were identified by Blast search and homology analysis. Result: Acanthamoeba spp. was found in 43 (71.6%) of samples of water and 13 (26%) soil samples. Genotyping of 15 samples proved that Acanthamoeba belonged to T4 (86.6%), T2 (6.6%), and T5 (6.6%) genotypes. Conclusion: TYI-S-33 medium could be better than PYG medium for Acanthamoeba axenic culture.   https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/280 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/280/263