Studies accomplished in freshwater demonstrate the importance of identify the presence of<br />protozoa like free living amoebae (FLA). In particular, the genera Acanthamoeba is associated with<br />severe infections in man, as the Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE). The most important<br />factor for the development of these organisms is the high temperature of the water body. The<br />region of the Huasteca Potosina in Mexico, with a tropical climate and great aquatic resorts, like<br />rivers, waterfalls and pools of thermal waters, that allows the development of amoebae. In this<br />study we evaluated the presence of amoebas in the most visited places on the Huasteca Potosina.<br />Samples of a liter were taken in nine sites during the rainy and dry season. 54 strains of amoebas<br />were identify, 46 belong to the genera Acanthamoeba, resulting 30 of them pathogenic in the<br />animal tests. The pathogenic isolated amoebas were present in the most attended resorts by the<br />people in the waterfalls or pools of the places sampling. Temperature turned out to be the most<br />important factor for the presence of amoebae.
