Prevalence of Parasitic Contamination in Some Leafy Vegetables in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf province

Authors

  • Rafal Haider Saad College of medical laboratory techniques, Imam ja'afar Al-Sadiq university, najaf, Iraq Author
  • Duha Ali Hassan College of medical laboratory techniques, Imam ja'afar Al-Sadiq university, najaf, Iraq Author
  • Reyam Adil Hassan College of medical laboratory techniques, Imam ja'afar Al-Sadiq university, najaf, Iraq. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63939/n0zpj292

Keywords:

Contamination, intestinal parasites, vegetables, Najaf

Abstract

The current study was designed to identify parasites contaminating some types of vegetables available in local markets in Najaf. Six types of leafy vegetables were collected, including: Chard (Beta vulgaris), Celery (Apium graveolens), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Leek (Allium ampeloprasum), Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) Lettuce (Lactuca sativa).

            The most common intestinal parasites were Giardia cysts, which were found in leek and celery in particular (7 instances each). These were followed by E. coli cysts and E. histolytica cysts, which were also commonly found in leek and celery. The biggest numbers were found in spinach and lettuce, while Ascaris and H. nana eggs were found at lower frequency. Chard had the lowest overall contamination levels, while celery and leek had the highest. These results show that there are notable differences in parasite contamination amongst various vegetables, with Giardia being the most common contaminant.

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Published

2025-11-30

How to Cite

1.
Prevalence of Parasitic Contamination in Some Leafy Vegetables in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf province. JPMS [Internet]. 2025 Nov. 30 [cited 2026 Mar. 18];1(3). Available from: https://pms-journal.de/index.php/pms/article/view/11