Prevalence of geohelminths on edible fruits and vegetables cultivated in rural villages of Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria

Abstract

Chronic and intense geohelminth infections can contribute to malnutrition, iron-deficiency anaemia, morbidity and sometimes, affecting cognitive process, and provoking intestinal obstruction or rectal prolapse. The prevalence of geohelminths on edible fruits and vegetables cultivated in rural villages of Ebonyi State, Nigeria was determined in this study. A total of 250 samples (five per product from each market) were examined for contamination by geohelminths using sedimentation and floatation methods. One hundred and one (40.4%) of the two hundred and fifty (250) fruits and vegetables were positive for geohelminths microscopically. Among the fruits, pineapple had the highest number of geohelminths, 18(72%) while Pawpaw had the lowest, 13 (12 %). And among the vegetables, water leaf had the highest number of geohelminths 16 (64 %) while bitter leaf had the lowest number of geohelminths, 7 (28 %). Geohelminths identified were ova of Ascaris lumbricoides (54.5 %), Strongyloides stercoralis (6.9 %), ova of Hookworm (23.8 %), Trichuris Trichiura (8.9 %), Enterobius vermicularis (5.9 %). This study shows high level of fruits and vegetables contamination with geohelminths in the study area. This portends a great risk of acquiring intestinal parasites by eating improperly washed fruits and vegetables.

Parasitological Assessment of Selected Edible Fruits and Vegetables Sold At Some Markets in Lokoja, North Central Region of Nigeria in the Context of Disease Surveillance

“…On watermelon, there is wide margin shown in dislodging Entamoeba histolytica using normal saline (9) against distilled water (1). Similarly, the big margin was observed in the number of B. coli (8) dislodged when distilled water was used in washing pumpkin against the distilled water that dislodged 2 parasites. The number of E. coli (5) dislodged when distilled water was used on garden egg varied from the number of parasites dislodged when normal saline was used (2).…”

“…Table 3 shows the larvae of Ascaris lumbricoides isolated from pumpkin sold at old market had the highest frequency of (10). Other stages of parasites isolated with significant frequencies were eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides on pumpkin sold at Longkongoma market (8); and cysts of E. coli on watermelon sold at Lonkongoma market (10). In overall, table 5 shows that distilled water dislodged more parasites (42) than normal saline (40).…”

“…40% contamination of a total of 250 samples of edible fruits and vegetables sold in markets in rural villages of Ebonyi state has also been reported. Some of the parasites identified with their stages were ova of Ascaris lumbriodes (54.5%); Strongyloides stercoralis (6.9%); ova of hookworm (23.8%); Trichuris trichuria (8.9%); Enterobius vermicularis (5.9%) [8].…”

Rapid concentration and sensitive detection of hookworm ova from wastewater matrices using a real-time PCR method

“…2007). Generally hookworm ova are concentrated by sedimentation in conjunction with floatation and filtration depending on the turbidity of a sample (US EPA, 2003;Dryden et al, 2005;Goodman et al, 2007;Koompapong et al, 2009;Elom et al, 2012;). Sample processing time using these concentration methods can be lengthy.…”

Pre harvest and post-harvest assessment of geohelminth and protozoan parasites contamination of vegetables in Ibadan, Southwest, Nigeria.

“…Hajivandi, 2013). Over the years, very few studies have been conducted on parasitic contamination of vegetables in Nigeria (Obetta et al, 2011;Elom et al, 2012;Alade et al, 2013). All these studies focused on vegetables from open markets (during post-harvest periods).…”