Parasitological Analysis of Vegetables in Natura Marketedat the Street Marketsin a City inside of Bahia

Abstract

The quality of human health has direct relation to the condition of food. There is great concern about the hygiene situation of foods intended for human consumption, due to the ability to transmit diseases. The general objective of this study was to evalua te the parasitological contamination of vegetables sold in street markets of Vitória da Conquista-BA. Samples of chives and arugula were analyzed, collected at the main points of commercialization of vegetables in street marketsof Vitória da Conquista, in the State of Bahia. The results showed that 100% of the arugula samples and 80% of the chive samples were contaminated by parasites. The prevalence of contamination by Entamoeba coli cysts, cysts of Endolimax nana, followed by Larvae of Strongyloidesstercoralis. The identification of these parasites hasgreat importance, since theysuggest absence of hygienic and sanitary actions and point out the vegetables analyzed as a source ofemparasitoses transmission.Vegetables are foods commonly eaten by the population. The sanitation of these organic foods, especially those ones consumed in its raw way, is a public health concern, since they, when contaminated, may contain larvae, protozoa and eggs of helminths and serve as a source of transmission of enteroparasitoses to man.