Abstract

Fruits and vegetables commonly brought for sale in markets within Ekpoma in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State were screened for human parasites in medical laboratory science department Research and diagnostic laboratory in College of Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. Two hundred and fifty (250) samples of seven different vegetable types which include cabbage, carrot, spinach, pumpkin, cucumber tomatoes and waterleaf and two different types of fruits which are pineapple and garden egg were obtained in three different markets within Ekpoma and screened using centrifugation method (Simple Sedimentation) and Floatation method. Cysts, ova, larvae and trophrozoites of intestinal Protozoa and helminthes were recovered. 106 (42.4%) of the samples were positive for different species of parasites. The parasites implicated were Entamoeba coli 21 (20.5%), Entamoiba histolytica 11 (10.4%), 4(3.6%), Giardia lablia 4 (3.6%), Hymenolepis nana 1 (0.9%), Trichuris trichiura 2 (1.9%), Ascaris lumbricoides 12 (11.3%), Hookworm 14 (13.2%), Strongyloides stercoralis 34 (32.1%), Gastrodiscoides hominis 1(0.9%) and Faciola species 1 (0.9%). Strongyloides. stercoralis with 34 (32.1%) of the positive cases has the highest occurrence, while H. nana, G. hominis and Faciola species with1 (0.9%) had the least occurrences. The study also showed that water-leaf with 83.3% infestation rate has the highest parasitic infestation, while cucumber with 0 (0.0%) has zero infestation. Spinach was found to have the highest multiple parasitic infestation of seven (7) species, whereas, cucumber had none. Infestation of different vegetables and fruits by various species of parasites was statistically significant (p<0.05; X² = 108.41). The infestation of medical important parasites and non-medical important parasites that were recovered in this project was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05; X = 9.845). Results from this current study however show high level of fruit and vegetables infestation with intestinal parasites and also indicate a great risk of acquiring intestinal parasites by eating improperly processed fruits and vegetables, but it can be excluded from the cycle of transmission of parasitic infections by properly and hygienically prepared fruits and vegrtables before consumption and proper waste management.

Keywords:

Ekpoma, fruits, medical and centrifugation, parasites, vegetable,

References

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

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