The Prevalence of Parasitic Contamination of Fresh Vegetables in Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Parasitic infection was observed in 62 samples (25.8%). The highest and lowest rates of contamination were observed in coriander and lettuce, respectively. Rhabditoid larva (12.5%; 15 cases) and <i>Physaloptera</i> egg (1.6%; 2 cases) were the most and least observed parasites, respectively. Other parasites such as <i>Entamoeba, Giardia, Blastocystis, Hymenolepis, Ascaris</i> and the egg and larva of hookworms were also observed. Despite the relative improvement of social, agricultural, economic and health conditions in Tehran, the prevalence of parasitic infections still persists. Factors such as developing modern waste collection methods, improving urban sewage systems, preventing domestic animal traffic on pastures and promoting the knowledge of different classes of people could reduce the prevalence of these types of diseases.