article · Asian Journal of Biological Sciences
Vegetables sold at the Bamenda food market in Cameroon carry high levels of gastrointestinal parasites and bacterial contamination. A cross-sectional investigation examined 180 vegetable samples, including carrots, cabbage, lettuce, and huckleberries, alongside vendor surveys. Laboratory analysis revealed that 53.9 percent of the collected vegetables harboured parasites, with Entamoeba histolytica being the most common organism identified at a prevalence of 30.6 percent. Contamination rates varied across produce types, recorded at 17.19 percent for cabbage and 14.28 percent each for carrots and tomatoes. Furthermore, samples tested positive for Escherichia coli via culture isolation. The primary risk factors driving this contamination include specific vegetable types, substandard vendor hygiene and sanitation practices, and poor environmental conditions within the market. These findings demonstrate that market consumers face genuine risks of contracting food-borne illnesses, highlighting an urgent need for improved handling and market cleanliness.
Raw vegetables are vital for healthy diets, but contaminated produce poses serious health risks to local consumers. By identifying high rates of Escherichia coli and parasitic infections in open-air markets, this work highlights the direct link between market sanitation, vendor handling practices, and community exposure to preventable food-borne illnesses.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, as it focuses on surveillance and risk factor assessment rather than product or service development. Potential beneficiaries of this baseline data include public health authorities and municipal market managers seeking to design targeted hygiene interventions, but practical commercial solutions remain unaddressed.
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Background and Objective: Vegetables are very important for the human diet as they provide all the nutrients needed to be healthy.However, they constitute major infectious agents.Thus monitoring of contaminants in vegetables is very crucial for human safety.This study aimed to assess common bacterial and gastrointestinal parasitic contaminants in vegetables and determine the risk factors associated with contamination of these vegetables and provide baseline information for the control of these diseases. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 local vegetables sold at the Bamenda food market.A structured questionnaire was administered to vendors and vegetable samples like carrots, cabbage, lettuce, huckleberries, etc., were collected for bacterial and parasitic assessment.Microscopy was done for parasites while culture was done for Escherichia coli (E.coli) isolation.Data was analyzed by SPSS version 25.0.Results: The general prevalence of parasites in vegetables collected from the food market was 53.9%.Entamoeba histolytica (30.6%) was the most prevalent gastrointestinal parasite.The prevalence of contamination of each vegetable ranges from Cabbage 17.19%, Carrots (14.28%), and tomatoes (14.28%).The risk factors associated with vegetable contamination were vegetable types, poor hygiene and sanitation of the vendors, and poor environmental conditions of the Bamenda Food Market.Conclusion: Vegetable samples collected from food market, Bamenda were highly contaminated with both E. coli and gastrointestinal parasites hence consumers are at risk of contracting food-borne illnesses.Proper personal and environmental hygiene should be maintained while handling these vegetables.
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DOI: 10.3923/ajbs.2025.423.431
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