Incidência de contaminação em hortaliças por estruturas parasitárias na feira municipal de Tefé- Am– Brasil

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the presence of parasitic structures such as eggs, larvae and helminth and protozoan cysts in lettuce (Lactuca sativa), marketed at the fair Tefé - AM. Analyses were carried out in October 2014 with samples from the open market. Each sample consisted of lettuce leaf, which reflects an average amount consumed portion at a time. Then, washing was carried out in 250 ml of distilled water with the aid of a soft brush for better removal of the contact surface of the sheet, which could be found parasites. The liquid resulting from washing the vegetables was allowed to stand for 24 hours at room temperature, sedimentation to occur, strips were then prepared in triplicate for each sample and stained with Lugol. The results showed that all samples had some kind of contamination mainly by nematodes. Among the most common are parasites Ascaris lumbricoides and Giardia lamblia. The data suggest the importance of vegetables in the transmission of intestinal parasites, as well as the need to implement educational measures which improve the sanitary conditions of these foods.