Parasitic contamination of raw vegetables in Shahroud, Semnan

ABSTRACT

Given the importance of healthy vegetables, the present study was conducted to determine parasitic infection of vegetable consumed in Shahroud. This cross-sectional study has been conducted on 92 samples of various vegetables collected from 16 vegetable growing farms and 1 vegetable process workshop. Sixty two percent of tested vegetables lacked parasites and the highest amount of parasites observed [34.78%] was related to Giardia lamblia. A significant relationship was observed between parasite and having toilets in the farms as well as the extent of farms. Safety of fertilizers consumed by farms and healthy fruits can have an effective role in reducing the parasitic infections.