Prevalence of intestinal parasites in vegetables consumed in Ardabil, Iran

Fresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of reported cases of food-borne illness linked to fresh vegetables. The consumption of raw vegetables is a major way in the transmission of parasitic contaminations. The goal of this study was to determine the parasitological contamination of vegetables sold at markets and obtained from gardens. A total of 141 samples from different vegetables were randomly selected from the markets and gardens (markets: 96; gardens: 45) and then were examined by a concentration method. Each sample was washed with water, allowing sedimentation at room temperature for 24 h. Five ml of sediment were centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 5 min. Sediment was examined in lugol stained slides through light microscopy. Fifty percent (48/96) of markets vegetables and 71% (32/45) of gardens vegetables were contaminated with different parasites. Prevalences of pathogenic parasites in vegetables of markets and gardens were 25% and 29%, respectively. Parasites detected were Giardia cysts (7%), Dicrocoelium eggs (6%), Fasciola eggs (5%) and Ascaris eggs (2%). In regard to results of this study, the importance of vegetables in the transmission of intestinal parasites in stressed, and it is necessary to improve the sanitary conditions of these kinds of food.