Found in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs), swimming pools, and recreational waters, N. fowleri, is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Although cases of N. fowleri infections are rare, the fatality is comparatively high (>95%) and surveillance is essential to minimize N. fowleri infections. However, conventional N. fowleri detection methods are less satisfying owing to their time-consuming and lab intensive characteristics as well as the lack of the ability to determine viability. As a result, an alternative detection approach capable of determining viability as well as species identification is required to better ensure public health. Based on our previous research focusing on distinguishing laboratory cultured N. fowleri from N. lovaniensis and N. italica, this study applies untargeted metabolomics methods to field samples from operational DWDSs. A list of diagnostic features was found to preliminarily discriminate the N. fowleri positive from N. fowleri negative and N. lovaniensis positive field samples with satisfying predictive accuracy. The results outlined in this manuscript further validate and improve the metabolite-based N. fowleri detection approach, potentially aiding water utilities in the detection and management of N. fowleri in drinking water.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 13. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 14 September 2018.
All research outputs
#3,221,082
of 28,818,276 outputs
Outputs from Water Research
#760
of 13,155 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#55,481
of 351,411 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Water Research
#8
of 204 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 28,818,276 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 88th percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 13,155 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.4. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 94% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 351,411 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 84% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 204 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 96% of its contemporaries.
