Prevalence of parasitic stages in six leafy vegetables in markets of Erbil City, Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Abstract EN

The present study was carried out to determine the parasitological contamination of vegetables sold at different markets of Erbil city.

Results of the current survey have shown that out of 72 samples of six different types of leafy vegetables (celery, rocket, parsley, leek, dill and cress, weighted between 400-500 gm.) were examined, 49 (68.05 %) were positive and 23 (31.94 %) were negative (no parasitic stages present).

These samples were collected within one year, to investigate the presence of helminthes eggs, and protozoan stages, free living larvae and cysts or oocysts respectively or others.

The results showed that the contamination with the parasitic agents was higher in celery, rocket and parsley, while was lower in leek, dill and cress.

The study revealed the existence of 13 different types of parasitic stages in addition to larvae and insects, these were as follow as : eggs of each of Echinococcus granulosus with percentage (22.4 %), Ascaris sp.

(18.3 %), Hymenolepis nana (10.2 %), Hymenolepis diminuta (4.0 %), Toxocara sp.

(12.2 %), Trichostrongylus sp.

(8.1 %), Enterobius vermicularis (4.0 %) and Dipylidium caninum (6.1 %), the cysts of each of Entamoeba histolytica (20.4 %), Entamoeba coli (22.4 %), Giardia sp.

(16.3 %) and oocyst of Toxoplasma gondii (18.3 %) and Isospora sp.

(12.2 %), and the others were the larvae (6.1 %) and insects (lice) (14.2 %).