Browsing by Author "Ige Eliajah Taiye"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Parasitological Assessment of Ready to eat Fruits and Vegetables at a selected Market in Malete, Kwara state, Nigeria
    (2024) Barakat Olajumoke Kolawole; Ige Eliajah Taiye; Yusuf Funsho Issa; Cynthia Ndidiamaka Obi; Precious Ayomide Israel; Markus Saerimam Nzunde; Ige Rachael Ojo
    Food borne illnesses majorly result from poor hygiene practices and unsanitary conditions especially at fruits and vegetable selling points. We aimed to assess the hygiene status as well as parasite contamination in fruit and vegetables sold at Malete in Kwara state, Nigeria. Four (4) samples each of ready-to-eat vended fruits and vegetables which include; water melon, tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, banana and garden egg, and two (2) samples each of orange and pineapple were purchased from different fruits sellers in Malete. The parasite contamination of fruits was examined using standard centrifugal sedimentation methods. The helminth egg, larva, cast, and cyst were identified by using distilled water and saline as a floating medium, staining them with dobell's iodine, and examining them with an x40 objective lens. A total of four (4) parasite worms were identified as: Ascaris lumbriocoides (68.63%), Entamoeba coli (4.54%), Entamoeba histolytical (18.18%) and Paragonimous westermani (9.09%) from the fruit samples studied. Carrots and tomatoes show the highest contamination with 91.66% and 83.33%, banana and cucumber show lowest contamination (56.25% and 50%) among the samples, while orange and pineapple show no contamination among samples. Fruits and vegetables that are offered at the vendors are not pathogen-free, as evidenced by the organisms that were isolated from them. Thus, there is a risk of parasite infection if these fruits and vegetables are consumed raw without being thoroughly cleaned. The results and recommendations of this study are anticipated to be put into practice in order to reduce the any risk of contracting parasite infections among the populace