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| Contamination of Vegetables with Geohelminths: Prevalence, Intensity and Roles of Hygiene Practices in Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria (Geohelminthic Contamination of Vegetables) |
Henry Gabriel Bishop, Anna ZyienomYohanna
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Abstract:
Abstract: Vegetables are essential for good diet since they supply vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and phytochemicals. However, they can serve as vehicle for transmission of geohelminths when contaminated vegetables are consumed raw or undercooked. This study assessed geohelminths contamination on some common vegetables. A total of 100 vegetable samples comprising of cabbage, lettuce, spinach, spring onion and waterleaf were sampled from five different locations in Samaru-Zaria. The samples were subjected to sedimentation technique: 200 grams of each vegetable was washed separately in 500ml of normal saline in order to detach parasites’ ova, larvae and cysts. The wash water was allowed to sediment overnight and decanted. The sediment was strain into a centrifuge tube through a sieve to remove large matters, followed by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for five minutes to concentrate the parasitic stages. Wet mounts of the sediments were made and examined using the light microscope with 10x and 40x objectives. From result analysis, 75.0% of the vegetable samples were contaminated with various geohelminths: Ascaris lumbricoides 52(52.0%), hookworms 39(39.0%), Dicrocoelium dendriticum 12(12.0%), Giardia lamblia 8(8.0%), Trichuris trichiura 8(8.0%), Enterobius vermicularis 10(10.0%), Strongyloides stercoralis 23(23.0%) and Fasciola species 8(8.0%). Among the four different vegetable types, waterleaf was the most contaminated with Ascarias lumbricoides, hookworms and Enterobius vermicularis eggs. Vegetable samples obtained from ABU Community were most contaminated with Ascaris lumbricoides (65.0%), Dicrocoelium dendriticum (20.0%) and Trichuris trichiura (20.0%); while samples from Samaru-Market had more of hookworms (55.0%). Vegetable samples that were washed by vendors and those displayed on tables for sale were more contaminated than vegetables not washed or displayed on mat. As important as vegetables are to human diet, care must be taken to ensure good hygiene during handling, storage and distribution to consumers.
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