title: Plant-borne human contamination by fascioliasis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Gilan University Complex, Rasht, Iran. k_fashi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Keyhan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ashrafi
authors.forename: Maria Adela
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Valero
authors.forename: Jafar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Massoud
authors.forename: Abdolrasoul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sobhani
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solaymani-Mohammadi
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conde
authors.forename: Messaud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khoubbane
authors.forename: Maria Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bargues
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mas-Coma
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D011196:Potassium Permanganate