Plant-borne human contamination by fascioliasis.
Contamination by fasciolids takes place through ingestion of metacercariae attached to vegetables. Experimental studies were performed with plant-made foods suggesting a role in human contamination in Iran and on the usefulness of potassium permanganate as a preventive tool for killing metacercariae attached to vegetables used in salads in Egypt. In the foods assayed, although viability decreases with time, a high percentage of the metacercariae were still alive 2 and 4 weeks after preparation. Infection of laboratory animals proved that metacercariae kept their infectivity. The 5-minute tests of potassium permanganate effects showed that metacercarial viability was not affected even at the very high doses of 300, 600, and 1,200 mg/L. Careful, subsequent washing of leaves and vegetables with water is therefore needed after its application. A review on similar studies performed with metacercariae belonging to fasciolid and other trematode species affecting humans is included.
Ashrafi
Keyhan
K
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Gilan University Complex, Rasht, Iran. k_fashi@yahoo.com
Valero
Maria Adela
MA
Massoud
Jafar
J
Sobhani
Abdolrasoul
A
Solaymani-Mohammadi
Shahram
S
Conde
Patricia
P
Khoubbane
Messaud
M
Bargues
Maria Dolores
MD
Mas-Coma
Santiago
S
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005209:Fasciola / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D016266:Food Parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D011196:Potassium Permanganate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012908:Snails; D014675:Vegetables / Q000469:parasitology*
D011196:Potassium Permanganate