Abstract
Abstract Vegetables eating raw are a leading source of transmission of infective forms of pathogenic internal parasites among human beings. This research was conducted from April to October, 2017 to assess the parasitic contamination of vegetables sold at main vegetable markets in districts Lower Dir and Peshawar, Pakistan. Eight hundred specimens of different vegetables were purchased and soaked in physiological saline solution, shaken with a mechanical shaker for 20 minutes and processed by sedimentation concentration method. Results revealed that only 19.7% (n=158/800) of the vegetables were found to be contaminated with single or multiple parasite species. Ascaris lumbricoides (the large round worm) 12.3% (n=99/800) was the most commonly detected pathogen and Taenia saginata (the beef tapeworm) 1.62% (n=13/800) was the least frequently detected one. Interestingly, significant p value (p>0.05 at 95%CI) between the number of examined and contaminated for all the variables studied including education status of the vendors, markets location, type of vegetables, means of display, washed before display, washing source of water and market type. The findings of this study evidenced that consumption of raw vegetables possesses great risk of getting parasitic infections in Lower Dir and Peshawar districts, Pakistan. Instructing the sellers and the public about parasitic disease transfer and their hygiene can reduce the infection rate of parasites of human origin.
Highlights
Fresh vegetables as a potential source of vitamins, dietary fibers and minerals are commonly used in almost all the societies in the world, including Pakistan
Routine consumption of vegetable is related with a minimum risk of cardio vascular diseases, stroke and cancer
This research was conducted from April to October, 2017 to assess the level of parasitic contamination of vegetables sold at main vegetable markets in Lower Dir and Peshawar districts, Pakistan
Summary
Fresh vegetables as a potential source of vitamins, dietary fibers and minerals are commonly used in almost all the societies in the world, including Pakistan. Routine consumption of vegetable is related with a minimum risk of cardio vascular diseases, stroke and cancer. In spite of the advantages mentioned, the risk of the parasitic infections can be raised by the consumption of vegetables as raw (Maikai et al, 2012). The consumption of raw vegetables plays a major epidemiological role in the transmission of parasitic foodborne diseases (Beuchat, 2002). Intestinal parasitic infection may be acquired in different ways like by consumption of contaminated vegetables, other food stuff, and water (Al-Binali et al, 2006). Undercooked vegetables is one of the means by which the transmission of intestinal parasitic infections is propagated (Slifko et al, 2000)
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