Helminth Parasites of Fruits and Vegetables Planted in Crop and Landscape Managent Garden College of Agricultural Sciences, Ebonyi State Universityabakaliki, Implication for Public Health.

Abstract

The parasitological examination of soil samples extracted from the roots of pre-nursery crops of fruits and vegetables for the prevalence of soil transmitted helminths was conducted using Zinc-Sulphate floatation, centrifugation methods and microscopy respectively. Out of 1,400 soil samples and 1000 fruits examined 58% and 42% respectively were positive. The study revealed that soil transmitted parasites where implicated in their full developmental stage of adultworms, larvea and eggs respectively. These include Capillaria, Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris trichuria, Hookworms, and Ascaris lumbricoides. Their presence could be as a result of using animal dungs/feaces as organic fertilizer, direct urination and open defeacation on the farmland by students, staff, and other student farmers in the nursery. Thus contaminating the nursery and posing health problems to students, farm workers in the campus and consumers of the contaminated fruits and vegetables. However, infected students could be treated with antihelminthics while avoidance of the use of animal dungs/feaces, open defeacation and urination on the farmland will reduce the parasite presence. Students treatment on infection, can be achieved through public health awareness scheme and provision of toilet facilities and finally teach them how to wash their fruits and vegetables with salt or potassium iodide which are predisposing factors for infection.

Keywards: Helminths, Parasites, Soil, Fruits, Vegetables, EBSU.