Prevalence of different parasitic stages in commercial vegetables in al-Nassiriyah city, Iraq

Abstract EN

The present study was carried out to evaluate some of the vegetable which found in vegetables market in Al-Nassiriyah city.

To check whether they harbor different parasites stages.

In February and June 2009, we collected different types of winter and summer vegetables that are frequently eaten raw.

Winter vegetables samples include parsley, garden cress, lettuce, tomato and celery while summer vegetables consist of radish, pepper, cucumber, tomato and celery.

The samples were analyzed in the laboratory for parasitic stages contained in these samples.

The examination showed contamination of these vegetables with many types of parasitic stages.

Entamoeba Spp.

was the most common parasite detected 41(% 25.30) followed by Ascris lumbricoides 33 (% 20.37), Giardia lamblia 28 (% 17.28), Fasciola spp.26 (% 16.04) Trichuris tricura 9 (% 5.55), Toxocara Spp.7 (% 4.32), Taenia Spp.

7 (% 4.32), Hymenolepis nana 6 (% 3.70) and Strongyloides stercoralis 5 (% 3.08).

Parasites were significantly more frequent in winters vegetables 107 (% 66.04) than in summer's vegetables 55 (% 33.95).

The highest prevalence of parasitic stages in winter's vegetables was recorder in lettuce 32(% 19.75) followed by celery 31(% 19.13), cress 18 (% 11.11), parsley 17(% 10.49) and tomato 9(% 5.55).

In summer's vegetables the prevalence of parasitic stages was found to be radish 22 (% 13.58), celery 21 (% 21.96), tomato 7(% 4.32), cucumber 3(% 1.85) and pepper 2(% 1.23)) Also we noticed that a simple washing at home is not effective for eliminating the parasitic stages from these vegetables.