AVALIAÇÃO PARASITOLÓGICA DE ALFACE EM FEIRAS E MERCADOS NO MUNICÍPIO DE RIO BRANCO, ACRE.

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Introduction: The search for a healthy diet has grown over the last few decades, making the population opt for natural products, resulting in the intake of raw vegetables, with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) being one of the most consumed in the world; hygiene is necessary to reduce risks. The main contamination is due to poor sanitary conditions in the irrigation of vegetables, planting and inadequate handling of these leafy vegetables. The topic is relevant because they represent a serious public health problem. Objectives: to carry out a parasitological evaluation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) sold in the municipality of Rio Branco, Acre. Methods: Lettuce samples of the species (Lactuca sativa L.) sold in 3 open-air markets were collected: Mercado Municipal Elias Mansour, Central de Abastecimento de Rio Branco (Ceasa) and Feira Livre and in different supermarkets X and Y in the municipality of Rio Branco , Ac. Methods: Lettuce samples of the species (Lactuca sativa L.) sold in 3 open-air markets were collected: Mercado Municipal Elias Mansour, Central de Abastecimento de Rio Branco (Ceasa) and Feira Livre and in different supermarkets X and Y in the municipality of Rio Branco , Ac. 5 samples were collected from each of the 5 units, totaling 25 samples per month and 250 between the months of July/2022 to November/2022 and February/2023 to June/2023. Subsequently, transported to the Parasitology Laboratory of the Uninorte University Center (UNINORTE). Leaves were established as the sampling unit for vegetables. 200g of leaf was weighed, sliced and separated for parasitological analysis and hygiene technique. To search for enteroparasites, the leaves were washed with 500 ml of distilled water containing 0.5 ml of neutral detergent. The liquid was used for the Spontaneous Sedimentation and Faust techniques. For the hygiene technique, 200g of leaves were submerged in a solution containing 1000 ml of distilled water and 10 ml of sodium hypochlorite (2%), homogenized for 10 min. Subsequently, the liquid was used to perform the spontaneous sedimentation technique. Results: To analyze diversity, the Shannon Wiener indices were used. In parasitological techniques, 51 parasitic agents were identified, with Balantidium coli (7.2%), Entamoeba coli (6.8%), Endolimax nana (4.4%), Larva of Strongyloides stercoralis (0.8%), followed by of Entamoeba histolyrica (0.4%), Arcella vulgaris (0.4%), and Enterobius vermicularis larvae (0.4%). Among the lettuce sales units, those with the highest prevalence were: Supermercado Y (27.5%), Mercado X (23.6%), Feira Livre (25.4%), CEASA (15.7%) and Elias Mansour (7.8%). Protozoa represented (94.1%) and Helminths (5.9%). Faust represented (56.8%) of the parasites found, compared to (43.2%) from the spontaneous sedimentation technique. No parasitic forms were found after the sodium hypochlorite cleaning technique. Conclusions: Lettuces sold in Rio Branco/AC contained different types of protozoa and helminths, with the most common enteroparasites being Balantidium coli and Entamoeba coli. The hygiene technique proved to be effective in eliminating these agents. Ingesting raw lettuce may present a potential risk to consumers, and it is recommended to clean it before consumption.