Study of the Prevalence of Helminths and Protozoa in Fruits marketed in Street Markets in a City insideof Bahia

Abstract

Parasitoses in Brazil represents a serious public health problem, by affecting mainly the poorest population, with little access to education and basic sanitation. It is estimated that millions of people around the world are afflicted with parasitic infections from eating contaminated food. The present study had as objective to evaluate the presence of helminths and protozoa in fruits marketed in open fairs in Vitória da Conquista-Ba. Forty samples were analyzed, by including guava, lemon, apple and grape, by the method of spontaneous sedimentation Hoffman, Pons and Janer (1934). The results showed that 70% of the fruits presented positivity for some type (kind) of parasite, with guava being the most contaminated fruit (90%). The highest prevalence was of helminths (Ascaris lumbicoides (n = 92), Ancylostomideo (n = 18), Taenia sp (n = 8) and Enterobius vermiculaes (n = 2), followed by protozoa (Balantidium coli, Entamoeba coli (n = 11) .The high frequency is associated to the inadequate handling of these fruits, as well as to the inefficiency of the sanitary conditions of the commercialization place, by recommending measures of sanitary education from the merchants and the population consumers.