A comparative survey of the prevalence of human parasites found in fresh vegetables sold in supermarkets and open-aired markets in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

BackgroundConsuming raw vegetables offers essential nutrients that one may not get when such vegetables are usually cooked. However, eating them raw may pose a great risk for transmissions of pathogens. Such risks may be influenced by the sources of the vegetables and washing techniques used. The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence and diversity of parasitic pathogens associated with vegetables sold at the two types of markets in Ghana and compare effectiveness of various washing techniques.MethodsWe purchased two batches of samples of cabbage, sweet bell pepper, carrot, lettuce, tomato and onion within a two week interval. The vegetables were washed by three methods and the wash solution was concentrated and analyzed for parasites.ResultsThe prevalent parasites detected were Strongyloides stercoralis larvae (43%) and Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst (16%). Others present were Hookworm ova, Entamoeba histolytica cysts, Giardia lamblia cysts, Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts, Entamoeba coli cysts, Trichuris trichiuria ova, Enterobius vermicularis ova, Isospora belli oocysts and Fasciolopsis buski ova. Contamination was highest in lettuce (61%) and cabbage and the least contaminated was tomato (18%). Contamination of vegetables sold at the open-aired markets was about ten-times that of the supermarkets.ConclusionsIn Ghana, the large open-aired markets are the most patronized and serve as a supply point for most corner shops and stalls. The results thus highlight the potential of fresh vegetables serving as a major source of food-borne disease outbreaks and the contribution of open-aired markets to their transmission. Urgent public education on handling of fresh vegetables is recommended.

Parasitic contamination of fresh vegetables sold at central markets in Khartoum state, Sudan

“…Moreover, vegetables are vital sources of energy that are depended upon by all levels of human as food supplements or nutrients [4]. They substantially improve food quality as rich sources of water, vitamin C, carotene, mineral elements such as iron, and vitamins including thiamine (vitamin B12), niacin and riboflavin [5–7]. …”

“…Parasitic infections lead to about 300 million severely illnesses with approximately 200,000 deaths occurring in developing countries [7]. Tremendous outbreaks of intestinal parasitic infections that were associated with raw vegetables have been reported from developed and developing countries as well [5, 10], these probably were due to poor sanitation and inadequate personal hygiene [13].…”

“…Tremendous outbreaks of intestinal parasitic infections that were associated with raw vegetables have been reported from developed and developing countries as well [5, 10], these probably were due to poor sanitation and inadequate personal hygiene [13]. Several surveys have been done in different parts of the world such as in Syria [2]; Ghana [7]; India [9]; Pakistan [10]; Iran [5, 6, 12]; Nigeria [1, 3, 4, 14]; Vietnam [15, 16]; Ethiopia [11, 13, 17]; Egypt [8, 18] indicated that the vegetables can be a major source for transmitting protozoan cysts ( E. histolytica ; Giardia lamblia ; E. coli ; Balantidium coli ), oocysts ( Isospora belli ; Cryptosporidium spp.) and helminthes’ eggs and larvae ( Strongyloides stercoralis ; T. trichiura ; Enterobius vermicularis ; Fasciola hepatica ; A. lumbricoides ; Toxocara spp.…”

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites and Association with Malnutrition at a Ghanaian Orphanage

“…In the light of these observations, there is concern and need to verify the sources and safety of the water supplied by these tankers as well as exclude any possibilities of the children visiting nearby streams for play or other purposes not known to us. We recently reported a high prevalence of parasites in vegetables 18,19 sold within the Accra metropolis, and these could be potential sources of infection if not handled properly.…”

Cyclospora cayetanensis

“…In Costa Rica, Cyclospora was detected during the dry season (Calvo et al, 2004;Devera et al, 2006). In Ghana, Cyclospora was isolated from cabbage, pepper, carrot, onion, tomato, and lettuce in 5% of the samples studied (Duedu et al, 2014). The relationship between numbers of organisms found on fresh produce and numbers in the environment in which crops were grown is unclear (Dawson, 2005).…”