Washington DC, May 2 -- Free-living amoebae are emerging as a global health concern, fueled by warming temperatures and outdated water systems. While many are harmless, some can cause deadly infections and even protect other dangerous microbes.

Their ability to survive heat and disinfectants makes them especially hard to control. Scientists say improved surveillance and water treatment are urgently needed.

A team of environmental and public health scientists is raising concerns about a largely overlooked group of microscopic organisms that may pose a growing danger worldwide: free-living amoebae.

In a recent perspective article published in Biocontaminant, researchers explain that these tiny life forms are becoming an emerging global h...