title: HAV in fresh vegetables: a hidden health risk in district Mardan, Pakistan.
abstract: Hepatitis A is an acute inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) in human. The path of entry of HAV to the bloodstream is the epithelium of the intestine. Liver inflammation occurs when HAV multiplies within the hepatocytes and Kupffer cells of the liver. HAV is mostly transmitted by contaminated water, fruits and vegetables. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate fresh vegetables raised on the fecal contaminated water for the detection of HAV by PCR method. Twenty nine samples were collected from 13 different locations of district Mardan and screened for the presence of HAV. Village Bajowro near Takht Bhai was the most contaminated site having HAV in all vegetables grown over there. Water samples collected from this area proved to be contaminated with HAV. It may be concluded that fecal contaminated water is unsafe for irrigation because of the health risk associated with such practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Shankar Campus, Abdul Wali Khan Univerity, Mardan, 23200 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.
authors.forename: Waleed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Shankar Campus, Abdul Wali Khan Univerity, Mardan, 23200 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irshad
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Shankar Campus, Abdul Wali Khan Univerity, Mardan, 23200 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.
authors.forename: Gauhar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Shankar Campus, Abdul Wali Khan Univerity, Mardan, 23200 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.
authors.forename: Anwar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hussain
keywords: Domestic sewage; Hepatitis A virus; PCR; Vegetables