Geohelminths Contamination of Fruits and Vegetables Sold in Lafia Markets

Abstract

Fruits and vegetables are important in human diets as they help the body system function optimally but could also pose risk to human health when taken unhygienically. This study assessed geohelminths contamination on some common fruits and vegetables sold in Lafia markets and also obtained information on people’s knowledge about fruits and vegetables contamination with geohelminth parasites using structured questionnaire. A total of 500 samples of fruits and vegetables (comprising 250 fruits and 250 vegetables) including mango, cashew, carrot, garden egg, tomato, fluted pumpkin, cabbage, lettuce, spinach and bitter leaf were sampled from five different markets in Lafia, Nasarawa state, Nigeria from May to July 2015. The studied samples were categorised into two; this include 300 washed and 200 unwashed samples. These samples were checked for geohelminths contamination using standard floatation and sedimentation techniques. Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) had the highest proportion of geohelminths contamination (30.43%), lettuce (17.39%) and bitter leaf had no contamination among the vegetables sampled; however, contamination occurred highest in carrot (Daurus carota) (34.48%) within the fruit category and least contamination was found in tomato and cashew (20.69%). Geohelminth parasites eggs and larvae identified include Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm, Strongyloides stercoralis and Trichuiris trichiura with A. lumbricoides occurring highest. Information obtained indicated that 65% of the respondents have never heard of geohelminth parasites. Effective health and hygiene education is necessary in order to overcome the continued spread of geohelminths infections through eating unhygienic fruits and vegetables.