Speaker
Description
Keywords: Giardia, Entamoeba, Cryptosporidium, leafy vegetables, protozoan contamination, food safety.
Background: Fresh, leafy vegetables are essential for human nutrition but can serve as vehicles for intestinal protozoa when exposed to unhygienic conditions. Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar and Cryptosporidium spp. are intestinal protozoa that pose a significant public health risk globally.
Objective: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and distribution of these protozoan parasites in cabbage and lettuce obtained from the farm, open market and a supermarket outlet in Kumasi, Ghana.
Methods: A total of 90 samples (45 cabbages, 45 lettuces) were purchased from Ayigya market, KSB farm (KNUST) and Kumasi City Mall. Samples were washed in saline, centrifuged, and the sediments examined microscopically using Lugol’s iodine to identify cysts of Giardia and Entamoeba, and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining for oocysts of Cryptosporidium.
Key findings: The overall prevalence was 35.6% for Giardia, 28.9% for Entamoeba and 23.3% for Cryptosporidium. There was no significant difference observed between cabbage and lettuce (p=1.000). Contamination was significantly higher in farm and market samples (66.7% each) compared to the mall (26.7%, p=0.002), highlighting the impact of irrigation practices, post-harvest handling and hygiene standards.
Implications: These findings thus highlight the public health risk of consuming raw vegetables in such areas, particularly from the traditional supply chain. Improved irrigation practices, vendor hygiene and consumer education on thorough washing are recommended to reduce foodborne parasitic infections.