1
|
Khan W, Arshad S, Khatoon N, Khan I, Ahmad N, Kamal M, UlHassan H, Khan N, Haq AU, Ilyas M, Ullah S, Ullah I, Mahmoud AH, Mohammed OB. Food handlers: an important reservoir of protozoans and helminth parasites of public health importance. BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 82:e238891. [PMID: 34037080 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.238891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Food handlers plays a primary role in the transmission of pathogenically important protozoans and helminth parasites. This study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal pathogenic protozoans and helminth parasites among food handlers in and around University of Malakand, Lower Dir, Pakistan. Stool samples were collected from 642 food handlers (all of male) in a cross-sectional study from January to November, 2017. Wet Mount Techniques and concentration methods by using salt and formol-ether solutions. Three hundred and eighty four cases (59.8%) were found infected with one more parasites. Most of the individuals were found infected with helminth (47.6%) as compared to intestinal protozoans (0.93%). Seventy two cases (11.2%) of the cases presented mixed infection with both intestinal protozoan and helminth parasites. The order of prevalence for intestinal helminth was Ancylostoma duodenale (n = 258, 40.1%), followed by Taeniasa ginata (n=96, 14.9%) Ascaris lumbricoides (n = 54, 8.40%) and Trichuris trichura (n=30, 4.60%). For intestinal protozoa, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (n = 36, 5.64%) was the only protozoan detected. Mono-parasitism was higher than poly-parasitism. Family size income and education level were the factors significantly (P<0.05) associated in the parasites prevalence. Current research showed that IPIs are primarily the foodborne pathogens still an important public health problem in Pakistan. Effective control programs on parasitic diseases transfer and their associated factors are recommended.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W Khan
- University of Malakand, Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Zoology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - S Arshad
- University of Karachi, Department of Zoology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - N Khatoon
- University of Karachi, Department of Zoology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - I Khan
- Swat Medical College, Medical College, Saidu Group of Teaching Hospital, Medical Unit A, Saidu Sharif Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - N Ahmad
- Bahria University, Department of Maritime sciences, Karachi-75260 Pakistan
| | - M Kamal
- University of Karachi, Department of Zoology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - H UlHassan
- University of Karachi, Department of Zoology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - N Khan
- University of Malakand, Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Zoology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - A Ul Haq
- University of Malakand, Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Zoology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - M Ilyas
- University of Malakand, Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Zoology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - S Ullah
- University of Swabi, Department of Zoology, Swabi, Pakistan
| | - I Ullah
- Karakoram International University, Department of Biological Science, Ghizer Campus, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
| | - A H Mahmoud
- King Saud University, College of Science, Department Zoology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - O B Mohammed
- King Saud University, College of Science, Department Zoology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|