Helminthic egg contamination in vegetables sold in markets: A report from Thailand

How to cite this article:
Wiwanitkit V. Helminthic egg contamination in vegetables sold in markets: A report from Thailand. Ann Trop Med Public Health 2012;5:407

 

How to cite this URL:
Wiwanitkit V. Helminthic egg contamination in vegetables sold in markets: A report from Thailand. Ann Trop Med Public Health [serial online] 2012 [cited 2020 Sep 22];5:407. Available from: https://www.atmph.org/text.asp?2012/5/4/407/102095

Sir,

Vegetables are an important food source for human beings. They provide fiber, vitamin and minerals. Contamination of food can result in health problems. A good example of food contamination is the outbreak of E. coli infection in Europe; it is believed to be due to ingestion of contaminated vegetables. Because vegetables have to be grown in the farm with use of fertilizer, contamination by microbes can be expected. Here, the author reports on assessment of helminthic egg contamination in vegetables sold in markets in Bangkok. The author collected 300 vegetables from 10 markets in Bangkok and used them for further microscopic examination. Each sample was brushed and washed under water, and the collected sedimented water was further examined under a light microscope. Of interest, the contamination of helminthic eggs was seen in 90 samples (30%). The detected species included Ascaris (50 samples, 16.7%), Enterobius (30 samples, 10%) and Trichuris spp (10 samples, 3.3%). Focusing on the result, similar high numbers were previously reported in vegetable samples collected in Hanoi. [1] The high rate of contamination indicates a risk of eating raw vegetables. To avoid food contamination, at least good washing should be performed. [2] However, the best way to avoid contamination is to avoid eating non-cooked vegetable.

References

 

1. Uga S, Hoa NT, Noda S, Moji K, Cong L, Aoki Y, et al. Parasite egg contamination of vegetables from a suburban market in Hanoi, Vietnam. Nepal Med Coll J 2009;11:75-8.
2. Avcioðlu H, Soykan E, Tarakci U. Control of helminth contamination of raw vegetables by washing. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011;11:189- 91

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

Check

DOI: 10.4103/1755-6783.102095

Paul Mies has now been involved with test reports and comparing products for a decade. He is a highly sought-after specialist in these areas as well as in general health and nutrition advice. With this expertise and the team behind atmph.org, they test, compare and report on all sought-after products on the Internet around the topics of health, slimming, beauty and more. The results are ultimately summarized and disclosed to readers.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here