Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Oocysts on Vegetables Collected from Selected Markets in Abuja, Nigeria
Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Oocysts on Vegetables Collected from Selected Markets in Abuja, Nigeria.
Abstract
Fresh vegetables are important part of a healthy diet for people and can be agents of transmission of intestinal parasites.
Some of these intestinal parasites like Cryptosporidium spp can be zoonotic with important consequences to the public health wellbeing of many of the consumers.
It is for this reason that this study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors for this parasite in three markets (Kubwa, Karu and Wuse) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In all four hundred and fifty vegetable samples made up of tomatoes, lettuce spinach, cabbage and carrot were collected from these markets, Nigeria.
These samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidiumoocysts using sucrose flotation medium and modified Ziehl Nelson staining technique. Nineteen (4.22%) out of the 450 samples examined, were positive for Cryptosporidiumoocysts.
Lettuce had the highest (5.56%) contamination rate, followed by spinach and carrots with 4.4% each, while tomato and cabbage had 3.3% contamination rate each.
Among the markets, Wuse and Karu markets had the highest occurrence of contaminated samples with 4.67% each, while Kubwa had 3.3% contamination rate.
There was no significant difference between the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and types of vegetables examined (x2 = 0.7693, p = 0.9425), and the markets in which the vegetables were sold (x2 = 0.4396, p = 0.8027).
Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
Cryptosporidium, a coccidian protozoan parasite which has been described in sixteen different species of domestic and wild mammals, birds and reptiles (CDC, 2009), is an important causative agent of humans and animal gastrointestinal infection globally (Fayer, 2004) .
The parasite is responsible for acute gastrointestinal and less frequently respiratory infections in humans. It is self-limiting in immunocompetent people but prolonged and potentially life threatening for the immunocompromised populations (Fayer, 2004).
The incubation period is usually about one week, with clinical signs of watery diarrhoea which may be accompanied by abdominal pain, vomiting and fever (Fayer, 2004).
Studies have revealed that there are two main species commonly detected, C. hominis and C. parvum infecting humans of which C. parvum is more ubiquitous (Xiao and Ryan, 2008).
The most susceptible species of animals to Cryptosporidium infection is cattle, the parasite is transmitted to susceptible animals through the ingestion of oocysts that are fully sporulated and infective when passed in faeces (Moon and Bermick, 1981).
Oocysts are discharged in water by various animal hosts (Tariuwa et al., 2007). The oocysts are resistant to most chemical disinfectants, but are susceptible to drying and ultra violet portion of the sunlight(USFDA/CFSAN, 2005).
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