Contamination by intestinal parasites in vegetables marketed in an area of Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil

https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-98652017000100012 INTESTINAL PARASITES IN VEGETABLES | 127 ORIGINAL | ORIGINAL Contamination by intestinal parasites in vegetables marketed in an area of Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil Contaminação por parasitas intestinais em hortaliças comercializadas em uma área do Vale do Jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais, Brasil João Gabriel Guimarães LUZ1,2 Marcos Vinícius BARBOSA 2 Amanda Gabriela de CARVALHO1,2 Samira Diniz RESENDE 2 João Victor Leite DIAS 2 Helen Rodrigues MARTINS 2 ABSTRACT Objective The present study aimed to evaluate the presence of helminthes and intestinal protozoa in vegetables commercialized in Diamantina, a municipality located at Jequitinhonha Valley, one of the poorest regions of the world. Methods A total of 108 specimens, including lettuce, green onion and rocket, were monthly collected from the most popular open street market, green grocery and supermarket of the municipality. The samples were processed by a concentration method and evaluated by light microscopy for parasitological identification. 1 Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Curso de Medicina. Rondonópolis, MT, Brasil. 2 Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Curso de Farmácia, Departamento de Farmácia. Campus JK, BR 367, Alto da Jacuba, 39100-000, Diamantina, MG, Brasil. Correspondência para/Correspondence to: HR MARTINS. E-mail: <>. Rev. Nutr., Campinas, 30(1):127-136, jan./fev., 2017 Revista de Nutrição 128 | JGG LUZ et al. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-98652017000100012 Results The percentage of contamination was 50.9% (55/108), with predominance of nematode larvae (36.5%), cysts of Entamoeba coli (26.0%) and eggs of hookworms/Strongyloides spp. (12.9%). Lettuce showed greater contamination rate (61.1%) and samples from the open street market were more contaminated (77.8%). Information collected at each point of sale pointed the field cultivation as the critical step for such contaminations. Conclusion Vegetables marketed in Diamantina presents a wide variety of intestinal parasites, which may represent a potential risk to the health of consumers of fresh vegetables. Keywords: Foodborne diseases. Helminthiasis. Parasites. Vegetables. RESUMO Objetivo O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a presença de helmintos e protozoários intestinais em hortaliças comercializados em Diamantina, um município localizado no Vale do Jequitinhonha, uma das regiões mais pobres do mundo. Métodos Cento e oito exemplares, incluindo alface, cebolinha e rúcula, foram mensalmente coletados em uma feira livre, uma quitanda e um supermercado do município. As amostras foram processadas por um método de concentração e avaliadas por microscopia óptica para pesquisa de estruturas parasitárias. Resultados O percentual global de contaminação foi de 50,9% (55/108), com predominância de larvas de nematódeos (36,5%), cistos de Entamoeba coli e ovos de ancilostomídeos/Strongyloides spp. (12,9%). A alface demonstrou a maior taxa de contaminação (61,1%) e as amostras da feira livre foram as mais contaminadas (77,8%). Informações coletadas em cada ponto de venda apontaram o cultivo em campo como a etapa crítica para a contaminação. Conclusão Hortaliças comercializadas em Diamantina apresentam uma ampla variedade de parasitas intestinais, o que representa um risco potencial à saúde dos consumidores da área. Palavras-chave: Doenças transmitidas por alimentos. Helmintíase. Parasitos. Verduras. INTRODUCTION It is well known that daily consumption of vegetables provides numerous benefits to human health with several implications for improving quality of life, once that they are sources of nutrients, help in the prevention of chronic diseases, weight reduction and maintenance, among other benefits1. Thus, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers their consumption a priority for countries’ nutrition, food and agricultural policies2. Despite the great importance of a diet rich in this kind of food, the habit of consuming poorly washed raw vegetables could expose individuals to the risk of infection by several Revista de Nutrição microorganisms, such as intestinal parasites and commensals, since protozoan cysts and helminth eggs and/or larvae can be conveyed along with them3. The number of human infections and outbreaks associated with the consumption of raw vegetables contaminated with these foodborne pathogens has increased in the past decades, mainly in developing countries, where they represent a public health concern that is still underestimated4,5. Vegetable contamination with parasitic structures may occur at various stages of their production and commercial chain, in particular through the: sanitary conditions of field cultivation; use of fertilizers; quality of water used Rev. Nutr., Campinas, 30(1):127-136, jan./fev., 2017 INTESTINAL PARASITES IN VEGETABLES | 129 https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-98652017000100012 for irrigation and washing; storage; transportation; exhibition and handling by infected individuals, as well as due to contact with flies, rats and domestic animals6,7. However, parasitological contamination frequently occurs during the field cultivation of vegetables8, mainly due the use of contaminated water sources and organic fertilizers for irrigation and soil fertilization, respectively9. Diamantina is a very important city of the Jequitinhonha Valley, one of the poorest regions of the world. Although the periodic long droughts are a relevant factor for the low performance of agriculture in the region, this activity is still responsible for 30% of regional gross domestic product 10 . In addition, due to the low socioeconomic indices, several public programs for the cultivation and commerce of vegetables based on familial agriculture have been implanted in rural areas of the region 11. However, the precarious sanitary conditions often found in these areas combined with the scarcity of water sources, may favor the use of water contaminated with fecal waste for agricultural purposes. Although few studies have already reported that vegetables grown and marketed in some Brazilian regions present poor parasitological quality7,12, in Diamantina city there are no data concerning the exposure of the population to vegetables contaminated with parasitic structures. Therefore, the present study aimed to qualitatively assess the presence of this kind of contaminant in vegetables commercialized in different retail establishments of such Jequitinhonha Valley locality. the Northeast of the State of Minas Gerais (Figure 1), more specifically in the “High Jequitinhonha Valley”, a region characterized by the presence of the hydrographic basin of Jequitinhonha River and by a remarkable rate of poverty. The commerce of foodstuffs has great relevance in the local economy. Thus, in order to supply the internal and surrounding consumer market, the cultivation of vegetables is extensively practiced in the r (...truncated)