What is the most sensitive recovery method for Acanthamoeba spp. from lens care solutions?

The use of non-nutrient agar cultures seeded with Escherichia coli is recognized as the most sensitive recovery method for Acanthamoeba spp. from lens care solutions. This approach provides a conducive environment for the growth of Acanthamoeba while simultaneously suppressing bacterial growth, which is essential because the presence of competing bacteria can hinder the recovery of amoebae.

The non-nutrient agar serves as a basic platform that allows Acanthamoeba to thrive, but it doesn't provide nutrients that would support bacterial growth, which is why seeding the agar with E. coli is beneficial. The E. coli serves as a food source for Acanthamoeba, enhancing its chances of proliferation and making it easier to detect. Thus, using this method maximizes the likelihood of isolating Acanthamoeba, contributing to effective diagnosis and research into its presence in lens care solutions.

Other methods, while useful in different contexts, do not offer the same sensitivity for recovering Acanthamoeba species specifically from lens solutions.