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A rare parasitic disease caused by free-living amoebae belonging to the Acanthamoeba, Naegleria and Balamuthia genera, that are able to survive in an autonomous state in all natural environments and can also parasitize humans. In immunosuppressed individuals Acanthamoeba genus contamination leads to granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (also reported in association with species of the Balamuthia genus) together with other problems including cardiac, cutaneous and pulmonary manifestations, all of which influence the prognosis. In immunocompetent individuals, the Naegleria fowleri species is responsible for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, the evolution of which is rapidly fatal.