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Contamination of Fresh Vegetables by Parasites in Jardinah Region, Benghazi
Contamination
of Fresh Vegetables by Parasites in Jardinah Region, Benghazi
Najla Abdul-Razig Najem
Department of Microbiology, Higher Institute of Science and
Technology-Seluk,
Benghazi, Libya.
Abstract
Eating raw vegetables is a significant way to spread various
infectious diseases. This study aimed to investigate parasitic contamination in
some commonly used salad vegetables in the Jardina region of Libya. The
extraction process involves isolating parasites from fresh, raw vegetable
samples to obtain analyzable samples for detection. Samples are concentrated
using centrifugation, a process that separates heavier particles (such as
parasitic stages) from the liquid, making it easier to analyze the sample and
increasing the likelihood of detecting parasites. The concentrated samples are
then stained using iodine stain and modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain. Finally, the
samples are examined under a microscope. Of the 200 samples analyzed, 45%
(90/200) contained parasites. The parasites included Giardia lamblia
cysts, Entamoeba histolytica cysts, Entamoeba coli cysts, Enterobius
vermicularis eggs, Hymenolepis nana eggs, Ascaris lumbricoides
eggs, & Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. The highest number of
contaminated samples was found in coriander, 75%, while the lowest amount of
contamination was found in tomatoes, 31.2%. The prevalence of parasites was
highest for G. lamblia cysts in raw vegetable salads (15%). This was
followed by E. histolytica cysts (10%), E. coli cysts (7%), 5% for each
of E. vermicularis & H. nana eggs. A. lumbricoides
eggs and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts each accounted for 3%. These
findings highlight the potential significance of these results for global food
safety. The importance of raw vegetables used daily in salads lies in their
potential to endanger public health through the transmission of intestinal
parasites among people in the Jardina region.