Occurrence of Vermamoeba vermiformis in Environment and Keratitis Samples in Iran as a Public Health Concern: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Vermamoeba vermiformis is one of the prevalent Free-living amoebae (FLA) in the environment. In recent years, studies regarding the distribution of V. vermiformis have increased, focusing on the importance of this FLA as a human pathogen but its pathogenic potential is still unclear. Moreover, the endosymbiosis relationship between V. vermiformis and microorganisms may lead to the development of multi-antibiotic drug resistance pathogens and may increase FLA virulence. METHODS: We aimed to perform a systematic review of the data on the occurrence of V. vermiformis in the environment and keratitis samples in Iran. Articles on the occurrence of V. vermiformis in environment and keratitis samples in Iran were systematically searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar between January 2000 and July 2023. The keywords were carefully selected and accurately used to search for all relevant research articles to the title of the article. RESULTS: Fourteen studies (n = 14) with a combined total of 436 environmental and clinical samples were included. The overall prevalence of V. vermiformis across all studies ranged from 2% to 50%, with the highest detection rates observed in drinking and surface waters. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a wide distribution of V. vermiformis in water and different environmental sources in Iran. More comprehensive studies on the pathogenesis of this genus and the relationship between V. vermiformis and its endosymbiosis are research priorities.