The contamination rate of raw vegetable with pathogenic protozoa in Sulaimani city, Kurdistan-Iraq

This study was carried out to determine the contamination rate of raw vegetables with the intestinal parasite in Sulaimani province, Kurdistan, Iraq. A total of 300 fresh leafy vegetable samples, including (Dill, green onion, leek, lettuce, garden cress, watercress, peppermint, celery, radish and spinach) were collected from three central markets in the Sulaimani province. Each sample was separately washed with distilled water and/or phosphate buffer saline (PBS). The washing fluid was analyzed to detect parasite using standardized direct and indirect (sedimentation) microscopic examination technique. The total contamination rate of vegetable with the intestinal parasites was 36% (108/300). Giardia lamblia was the most prevalent parasite (9.3%) followed by Entamoeba coli (5%), Trichomonas spp. (4.6%), and Entamoeba histolytica (3.6%). The most contaminated vegetable was Peppermint 70% (21/30), followed by celery 46.6% (14/30), radish and garden cress were having the same contamination rates 43.3% (13/30) and green onion 36.6% (11/30). This finding concludes the raw vegetables in Sulaimani markets are a potential sources of intestinal parasite transmission, and the contamination rate of vegetables was very high and at critical level.