Comparing the Vegetable Infection before and after Washing, Disinfecting and Packaging Vegetable Processing Farms in Sabzevar, Iran

Background and Vegetables are one of the most important agents in transmission of parasitic infections to human, and determining their infectious rate ahs been the center of attention. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine and compare the parasitic and non-parasitic infections of vegetables before and after washing, disinfecting and packaging processes in the vegetable processing farms. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional descriptive study involved 345 samples of different types of vegetables from 30 farms before washing process as well as 200 samples after the washing, disinfecting and packaging processes between September and November 2008. The samples were studied through timed sedimentary and then through centrifuged condensation methods. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS using chi-square. The results showed that 185 samples out of 345 (53.62%) from farms were infected by parasitic and non-parasitic agents. The infection to ova of Ascaris sp (2.32%), Taenia spp (1.74%) and Trichostrongylus sp (0.58%) had the highest rate, respectively. Moreover, results showed that all of 200 samples from vegetable processing farm had no infection. Statistical analyses showed significant differences between the infection in samples from farms and those from vegetable processing farm. The results showed the absence of infections in studied vegetables after washing, disinfecting and packaging processes in the vegetable processing farms, and confirmed the role of processing in the elimination of infections