Unhygienic Food Handling as a Source of Parasites and Pathogenic Bacteria in Dessie Town, North Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Food handlers (individuals engaged in food preparation, transport and provision) are implicated in the transmission of foodborne diseases if appropriate hygienic practices are not maintained. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and bacteria among food handlers of Dessie town, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among asymptomatic food handlers. Stool microscopy and culture was performed on 135 food handlers to determine intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolated bacteria was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: The majority of the food handlers were females (n=112; 83%), 18-27 years old (n= 95; 70.4%), with grade 9-12 education (n=56; 41.5%) and single in marital status (n= 87; 64.4%). The prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens were 10.4% and 13.3%, respectively. Entaemoeba histolytica/E. dispar, (n=8; 5.9%) and Shigella species (n= 7; 5.2%) were the predominant parasitic and bacterial isolates respectively. Six (85.7%) of the Shigella isolates showed resistance to chloramphenicol and tetracycline while the single isolated Pseudomonas species showed resistance to all tested antimicrobials. Conclusion: Potentially contagious enteric bacterial pathogens and intestinal parasites were identified from food handlers who were presumed healthy. Hence, periodic screening of food handlers, and training on food handling and hand hygiene practices for food handlers is highly needed.