VEGETABLES SOLD IN OPEN MARKETS MAY REPRESENT POTENTIAL VEHICLES FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF ENTEROPARASITOSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33947/saude.v18i1.5253Keywords:
Vegetais, Alimento, Contaminação, Enteroparasitoses.Abstract
Introduction: Foodborne diseases, commonly originate through biological or chemical agents, and the damage to health that microorganisms cause, represent an important and re-emerging public health problem. Objective: to evaluate the presence of enteroparasites in vegetables sold in open markets. Methodology: 15 vegetable samples were collected in 2015, including coriander, lettuce and kale. Parasitological analyzes of these vegetables were carried out using the spontaneous sedimentation method. Results: Of the samples, 73.3% were contaminated by helminthes eggs and/or larvae and/or protozoan cysts. Giardia lamblia cysts (25%), Strongyloides stercoralis larvae (25%), Ascaris lumbricoides eggs (20%) and hookworm eggs and/or larvae (13%) were identified. Conclusion: vegetables have high levels of contamination, with coriander being the vegetable with the highest contamination rate (85.7%). And its consumption is considered inappropriate, unless it is sanitized before use.