Vegetable contamination with medically important helminths

Abstract Background: Vegetables play a crucial role in human nutrition, forming a significant part of our daily diet. Nevertheless, the consumption of vegetables stands out as a primary pathway for the transmission of intestinal parasites to humans. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the presence of parasitic helminths responsible for contaminating vegetables in Duhok city, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Methods: In the present study, spanning from June 2021 to August 2021, which 126 samples of fresh vegetables, including Coriander, Dill, Lettuce, Pepper, Parsley, and Radish were collected from various places in Duhok city. These samples underwent microscopic examination to investigate the presence of parasites. Results: The study revealed that 15.9% of the vegetables were contaminated with parasitic helminths, but there was no significant difference between the contaminated and non-contaminated vegetables, as indicated by a p-value of 0.628. Three varieties of parasitic helminths were identified in the vegetable samples, namely Ascaris lumbricoides (7.9%), Enterobius vermicularis(6.3%), and Hymenolepis nana (2.4%). The highest incidence of parasitic helminths contamination was observed in Parsley (23.8%) and Lettuce (20%), while Pepper showed a lower contamination rate of 4.8%. Conclusion:This study has revealed a moderate rate of contamination of fresh vegetables with parasitic helminths. This contamination can potentially serve as a significant factor in the transmission of pathogenic intestinal parasites.