Prevalence of Intestinal and Urinary Parasites among Food-Handlers in Owerri Metropolis

Abstract

Food handlers have been tagged as potential carriers of infectious pathogens which included parasites. Parasitic diseases were some of the leading causes of global mortality, with higher burdens of prevalence in developing countries, especially regions of the world, characterized with contaminated water, coupled with poor personal hygiene and poor sanitary treatment of food by handlers. This study was therefore designed to ascertain the public health safety of some food handlers within Owerri Metropolis, in Imo State, Nigeria. Early morning stool and urine samples were collected from 30 food handlers for the detection of parasites. The stool samples were concentrated by formol-ether techniques. Results of urine and stool microscopy from the food handlers workers showed that 16(53.3%) out of the food handlers harboured parasite of which 3 (10%) had Trichemonas vaginalis in their urine, 1(3.3%) recorded concomitant infection with Entamoeba histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoids and Trichuris trichiura, 5(16.7%) had co-infection of A. Lumbricoides and T.trichiura, 5(16.7) had horkworm infection while 2(6.7%) had E, histolytica in their stool samples. Neither adult microfikria nor ova of schistosoma was detected the urine of the workers. Majority of the food handlers relied solely on water from vendors at home, for domestic consumption. Also, the hygienic practices of the food handlers workers were questionable as majority of them did not remember whether they washed their hands or ot, after defactfiation. Re-examination of stool and urine samples from the infected food handlers after treatment showed an effective therapy based on the absence of parasites from their specifmens. Hence, it is recommended that there should be continues and periodic enlightenment programmes on significance and practices of personal hygiene in order to reduce or prevent the occurrence of parasitic infections among food handlers.

Keywords: Intestinal, Urinary Parasites,Food-Handlers, Owerri Metropolis