Publications

isolation and identification of legionella and their host amoebae from weak alkaline carbonate spring water using a culture method combined with pcr.	legionella were detected with the direct dna extraction method, legionella culture method, and free-living amoebae (fla) culture method from weak alkaline carbonate spring water in taiwan. moreover, we also investigated the existence of acanthamoeba, hartmannella, and naegleria, ubiquitous fla in aquatic environments, to identify the correlations between existing legionella. this study reports detecting legionella in 15 of the 51 weak alkaline carbonate spring water samples (29.4%). this work al ...	2011	21537990
identification and significance of naegleria fowleri isolated from the hot spring which related to the first primary amebic meningoencephalitis (pam) patient in taiwan.	naegleria fowleri can cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rapidly developing and highly lethal infectious disease. the first confirmed case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in taiwan was reported in november 2011, in which the patient visited a thermal spring recreational area 1 week prior to hospitalisation. water sampling was performed to verify the presence of naegleria at the facility. according to our results, 32% and 20% of recreational water samples were contaminated with n ...	2013	23665128
occurrence and distribution of naegleria species from thermal spring environments in taiwan.	naegleria spp. is a free-living amoeba that can be found in the natural environment. a number of naegleria spp. can cause fatal infections in the central nervous system in humans and animals, and the most important source of infection is through direct water contact. in this study, water samples from various thermal springs were taken from four thermal spring areas. naegleria spp. was detected via culture confirmation and molecular taxonomic identification. among the 60 samples obtained, naegler ...	2013	23020241
surveillance and evaluation of the infection risk of free-living amoebae and legionella in different aquatic environments.	free-living amoebae (fla) are ubiquitous in various aquatic environments. several amoebae species are pathogenic and host other pathogens such as legionella, but the presence of fla and its parasites as well as the related infection risk are not well known. in this study, the presence of pathogenic fla and legionella in various water bodies was investigated. water samples were collected from a river, intake areas of drinking water treatment plants, and recreational hot spring complexes in centra ...	2014	25192927