Parasitic Contamination in Leafy Green Vegetables from Benin Metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria

Vegetables are a rich source of essential vitamins and its consumption is a key part of diets globally.However, consuming inadequately washed vegetables could serve as avenue for passage of intestinal parasites into the body. This study was aimed at investigating the occurrence of parasites in commonly consumed vegetables in Benin City.Vegetable samples were washed in saline and the sediment was examined using ZnSO4 floatation technique for parasites detection. An overall prevalence of 87.0% was recorded. All the Curry leaf samples examined were contaminated. Ewedu, Green, Pumpkin and Scent leaves had 91.7% contamination rate each while Uziza was the least (60.0%). Cysts, ova and larvae of 17 parasites consisting of Acanthocephala, protozoans, and helminthes were recovered. Polyparasitism was observed and Ewedu/Jute leaf (Corchorus olitorius) harbored 12 (highest) parasites species while Uziza (Piper guineense) had only two species. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in prevalence of helminthes parasites between Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm, Enterobius vermicularis, Strongyloides stercoralis and unidentified nematode larvae. The thorny headed worm, Acanthocephala is reported for the first time in vegetables. This is of significant public health concern and call for urgent public health intervention on proper vegetable handling and safety practices for farmers and vendors.