Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, Syria
Monitoring parasitic contamination in raw vegetables used in salads is an important measure in controlling the occurrence of gastroenterological diseases, which may be life-threatening. This study aimed to inspect the parasitological contamination of some raw vegetables used in salads. Eight commonl...
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doaj-bd5fe02ea9224f4c80746db4d6ba25512020-12-21T04:46:40ZengElsevierFood and Waterborne Parasitology2405-67662020-12-0121e00090Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, SyriaSamar Al Nahhas0Ghalia Aboualchamat1Corresponding author at: P.O. Box 10718, Damascus, Syria.; Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Damascus University, Damascus, SyriaDepartment of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Damascus University, Damascus, SyriaMonitoring parasitic contamination in raw vegetables used in salads is an important measure in controlling the occurrence of gastroenterological diseases, which may be life-threatening. This study aimed to inspect the parasitological contamination of some raw vegetables used in salads. Eight commonly consumed vegetable types were purchased from street vendors in the city markets. Vegetables were washed and the sediments were obtained for microscopic examination. Genomic DNA was isolated from contaminated samples. Our result showed that 34.4% of the studied samples were contaminated with one or more species of parasites. Lettuce was the most commonly contaminated vegetable type (29.5%), while tarragon leaves showed the lowest level of contamination (2.3%). The risk of contamination was significantly higher in lettuce samples in comparison with the other samples studied. Giardia duodenalis was the most prevalent parasite detected (38.6%) and was abundantly found in lettuce isolates (23.5%). Molecular typing revealed that all Giardia samples found in the contaminated specimens belonged to Assemblage B. Blastocystis spp. were the second most prevalent parasite in samples (29.5%), they were frequently detected in lettuce leaves (30.8%). Other parasites were found in low frequencies. The high level of parasitic contamination found in our study indicates an urgent need to identify the sources of contamination and to monitor irrigation water and ensure its cleanliness.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676620300196VegetablesContaminationIntestinal parasitesGiardiaDamascus |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Samar Al Nahhas Ghalia Aboualchamat |
spellingShingle |
Samar Al Nahhas Ghalia Aboualchamat Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, Syria Food and Waterborne Parasitology Vegetables Contamination Intestinal parasites Giardia Damascus |
author_facet |
Samar Al Nahhas Ghalia Aboualchamat |
author_sort |
Samar Al Nahhas |
title |
Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, Syria |
title_short |
Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, Syria |
title_full |
Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, Syria |
title_fullStr |
Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, Syria |
title_full_unstemmed |
Investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in Damascus, Syria |
title_sort |
investigation of parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold by street vendors in city markets in damascus, syria |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Food and Waterborne Parasitology |
issn |
2405-6766 |
publishDate |
2020-12-01 |
description |
Monitoring parasitic contamination in raw vegetables used in salads is an important measure in controlling the occurrence of gastroenterological diseases, which may be life-threatening. This study aimed to inspect the parasitological contamination of some raw vegetables used in salads. Eight commonly consumed vegetable types were purchased from street vendors in the city markets. Vegetables were washed and the sediments were obtained for microscopic examination. Genomic DNA was isolated from contaminated samples. Our result showed that 34.4% of the studied samples were contaminated with one or more species of parasites. Lettuce was the most commonly contaminated vegetable type (29.5%), while tarragon leaves showed the lowest level of contamination (2.3%). The risk of contamination was significantly higher in lettuce samples in comparison with the other samples studied. Giardia duodenalis was the most prevalent parasite detected (38.6%) and was abundantly found in lettuce isolates (23.5%). Molecular typing revealed that all Giardia samples found in the contaminated specimens belonged to Assemblage B. Blastocystis spp. were the second most prevalent parasite in samples (29.5%), they were frequently detected in lettuce leaves (30.8%). Other parasites were found in low frequencies. The high level of parasitic contamination found in our study indicates an urgent need to identify the sources of contamination and to monitor irrigation water and ensure its cleanliness. |
topic |
Vegetables Contamination Intestinal parasites Giardia Damascus |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676620300196 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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