Astral Codex Ten

acanthamoeba keratitis

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acanthamoeba keratitis

Article

acanthamoeba keratitis is a recurring concept in the Astral Codex Ten archive, appearing 2 times across 2 issues between November 04, 2022 and June 18, 2025. The archive places it in contexts such as ""residents were afflicted by… acanthamoeba keratitis, an eye infection.""; “another with Acanthamoeba keratitis (a rare eye infection)“. It most often appears alongside 1DaySooner, ACX, African Swine Fever.

Metadata

  • Category: Concepts
  • Mention count: 2
  • Issue count: 2
  • First seen: November 04, 2022
  • Last seen: June 18, 2025

Appears In

Source Context

Recovered passages from the original issue text. When the raw archive preserved outbound links inside the source passage, they are listed directly under the quote.

ACX Grants: Project Updates
November 04, 2022 · Original source
29: Citizen Surveillance Of Pathogens In Drinking Water (8/10) Siddhartha Roy reports: "We spent 3-4 months developing methodologies and protocols for citizen sampling of opportunistic pathogens in premise plumbing. See exemplar sampling instructions and YouTube video here. We piloted them in two homes in SC and VA, where residents were afflicted by Legionnaire’s Disease and acanthamoeba keratitis, an eye infection. The results showed that by the time we made measurements, the pathogens were not present in the water, if they were there in the first place, possibly because the residents took some remedial measures. We hope that in the future, faster deployment of the methods will help us to better prove cause and effect, and detect the health risk if it is present." They are interested in more funding for future partnerships with citizens.
Inline links: exemplar sampling instructions and YouTube video here
ACX Grants 1-3 Year Updates
June 18, 2025 · Original source
We then responded to home investigation requests in 2022 for two residents: a) one hospitalized with COVID-19 and later diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease (a type of pneumonia and leading cause of waterborne disease and deaths in the US) in Harrisonburg, VA, and b) another with Acanthamoeba keratitis (a rare eye infection) in a South Carolina town. Specifically, we packed and shipped sampling kits, probes, and instruction booklets/videos, and remotely assisted residents with measuring relevant water quality parameters, taking accurate water and biofilm swab samples, and shipping those back to our laboratory. Our team used quantitative and digital droplet PCR (qPCR/ddPCR) to test for Legionella pneumophila and Acanthamoeba bacteria. We did not find these pathogens at meaningful levels, although in at least the Harrisonburg case, the resident had followed CDC Legionella prevention guidance after a prior positive Legionella detection by increasing their water heater temperature, which could have contributed to successful remediation. The results were published in the scientific journal ACS ES&T Water. ACX funding provided partial support for the lead PhD student, supplies, analysis, and shipping costs.
Inline links: published in the scientific journal ACS ES&T Water