Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 10 2 2015 06 15 250 257 EN Mohammad Reza Mahmoudi Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. Bahram Kazemi Dept. of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ali Haghighi Cellular and Biology Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Panagiotis Karanis Center for Biomedicine and Infectious Diseases (CBID), Qinghai Academy for Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, China. 2015 10 14 Background:Free-living amoebae such as Acanthamoeba species may act as carriers of Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma oocysts, thus, may play an important role in the water-borne transmission of these parasites. In the present study, a loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for detection of Toxoplasma and a PCR assay were developed for investigation of Acanthamoeba in environmental water samples. Methods:A total of 34 samples were collected from the surface water in Guilan Province. Water samples were filtrated with membrane filters and followed by DNA extraction. PCR and LAMP methods used for detection of the protozoan parasites Acanthamoeba and Toxoplasma respectively. Results: Totally 30 and 2 of 34 samples were positive for Acanthamoeba and Toxoplasma oocysts respectively. Two samples were positive for both investigated parasites. Conclusion:The investigated water supplies, are contaminated by Toxoplasma and Acanthamoeba (oo)cystes. Acanthamoeba may play an important role in water-borne transmission of Toxoplasma in the study area. For the first time in Iran, protocol of LAMP method was used effectively for the detection of Toxoplasma in surface water samples in Iran. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/326 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/326/478