The Prevalence of Foodborne Parasites in Raw Vegetables in Iran: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Publisher



Bahramian B^{1, 2} ; Afshari A^{1, 2} ; Kiani B³ ; Sani MA⁴ ; Hashemi M^{1, 2}
Source: Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering Published:2021

Abstract

Foodborne parasites in raw vegetables could cause parasitic infections in humans. An effective approach to the reduction of pathogenic microorganisms in vegetables involves identifying the main sources of contamination and the ecology of the involved microorganisms. This review aimed to evaluate the prevalence of foodborne parasites in raw vegetables in Iran. According to the reviewed studies, the prevalence rate of Ascaris spp., Giardia spp., Toxocara spp., Fasciola, Trichuris, Cryptosporidium, Dicrocoeliasis, Taenia spp., and Entamoeba histolytica was 6 % (95 % CI: 5–8 %), 6 % (95 % CI: 5–7 %), 6 % (95 % CI: 4–7 %), 2 % (95 % CI: 1–2 %), 1 % (95 % CI: 1–2 %), 10 % (95 % CI: 6–15 %), 2 % (95 % CI: 1–3 %), 5 % (95 % CI: 4–6 %), and 3 % (95 % CI: 2–4 %), respectively. According to the standard deviation map, Ilam province was one of the high-risk areas in terms of food-borne parasites in raw vegetables (3 SD < prevalence < 4 SD). Given the key role of raw vegetables in human parasitic contamination, governments must implement more stringent programs for effective wastewater treatment, preventing domestic and wild animals from entering farms, not using human and animal manure on farms, using ready-to-eat packaged vegetables, food safety training for households, implementation of GMP and HACCP in the factory vegetable packaging are required in this regard, especially in the high-risk areas of Iran, such as Ilam province. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.