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González-Ramírez LC, Djabayan-Djibeyan P, Prato JG, García Ríos CA, Carrero JC, Trelis M, Fuentes MV. Field study of parasitic contamination of fruits, vegetables and leafy greens in the Ecuadorian Andes. F1000Res 2024; 12:532. [PMID: 38273962 PMCID: PMC10808852 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.132957.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Raw vegetables have been considered vehicles of enteroparasites. South American countries are among the most important exporters of fresh vegetables, including Ecuador, which has a tropical climate and soils rich in organic matter that allow it to harvest throughout the year for sale to different countries. The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of the parasitic contamination of fruits, vegetables and leafy greens grown in an agricultural area of the Ecuadorian Andes. Methods A cross-sectional field study was conducted with snowball sampling on 1,416 samples (516 fruits, 488 vegetables, and 412 leafy greens). Each sample were washed with water, and the resulting solution after removing the vegetables, was subjected to 24-hour sedimentation. The concentrated sediment underwent microscopic analysis. Results The overall positivity for parasitic contamination was 63.4%, with leafy greens having the highest contamination rate (76.9%) (P<0.0001), surpassing vegetables (67.8%) and fruits (48.4%). Cabbage (100%), onions (84%), and strawberries (60.2%) emerged as the most contaminated within their respective groups. Protozoa were more prevalent (49.6%) than helminths (15.5%) (P<0.0001). Blastocystis sp. (33.5%) ranked highest, followed by Eimeria spp. (26.3%), Entamoeba spp. (10.3%), Giardia spp. (8.3%), Balantidium spp. (6.9%), Cryptosporidium spp. (6.6%), Cyclospora spp. (4.4%), Cystoisospora spp. (0.5%), Strongylida (15.5%), and Ascaris spp. (0.4%). Conclusions The study reveals that vegetables and fruits for human consumption from this area of the Ecuadorian Andes are highly contaminated with various parasites, constituting a possible source of infection for humans and animals in this area, or in non-endemic areas where these products are marketed. The finding emphasizes the need for strict hygienic measures in agricultural crops, which will be properly achieved through the treatment of soil, manure and water used for cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Carolina González-Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigación "Análisis de Muestras Biológicas y Forenses", Carrera de Laboratorio Clínico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - Pablo Djabayan-Djibeyan
- Grupo de Investigación "Salud Pública", Carrera de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - José G. Prato
- Grupo de Investigación “Estudios Interdisciplinarios”, Ingeniería Ambiental, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - Cecilia Alejandra García Ríos
- Grupo de Investigación "Salud Pública", Carrera de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
- Facultad de Salud Pública, Escuela Superior Politecnica de Chimborazo, Riobamba, Chimborazo Province, 060103, Ecuador
| | - Julio César Carrero
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - María Trelis
- Research Group "Parasites and Health", Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot/Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, 46010, Spain
- Joint Research Unit on Endocrinology, Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Universitat de València - Health Research Institute La Fe (IISLAFE), Valencia, Valencian Community, 46026, Spain
| | - Màrius Vicent Fuentes
- Research Group "Parasites and Health", Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot/Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, 46010, Spain
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Hernández-Castro C, Agudelo-López SDP, Medina-Lozano AP, López-García D, García-Tuberquia LA, Botero-Garcés JH, Orozco-Peláez MC, Bolaños-Muñoz M, Bejarano-Villafañe DA, Carmena D. The burden of intestinal parasitic infections in Antioquia, Colombia: Impact in childhood growth development and nutritional status. Acta Trop 2024; 251:107119. [PMID: 38195005 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal protist (GP) and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections cause significant morbidity among children in poor-resource settings of tropical and sub-tropical countries including Colombia. Few prospective transversal studies investigating how GP and STH infections affect growth development and nutritional status during childhood have been conducted in this country, none of them in the Antioquia Department. This microscopy-based study estimated the prevalence of GP and helminth (including STH) infections in faecal samples from schoolchildren (n = 384) collected during April-May 2019 in three municipalities of the Antioquia Department. Demographic, epidemiological, and household data were elicited through face-to-face interviews. Parasite detection was carried out by direct microscopic examination of both fresh smears and concentrated faecal material. Children (aged 6-15 years) also had their haemoglobin (Hb) levels, height and weight data collected, and BMI estimated. Data were analysed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Overall, 60.7 % (233/384) of schoolchildren were infected by at least one intestinal parasitic species. Among GPs, Blastocystis sp. was the most common species found (47.7 %, 95 % CI: 42.6-52.8), followed by G. duodenalis (15.9 %, 95 % CI: 12.4-19.9). Cryptosporidium spp. and Cyclospora cayetanensis were sporadically identified (0.3 %, 95 % CI: 0.1-1.4 each). Among helminths, the most prevalent species found were Trichuris trichiura (6.0 %, 95 % CI: 3.8-8.9) and Enterobius vermicularis (1.0 %, 95 % CI: 0.3-2.6). Hookworms, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Strongyloides stercoralis were found at prevalence rates <1 %. Underweight, overweigh, or obese schoolchildren had 1.2 times greater chance of being infected with intestinal parasites than their counterparts with a healthy weight (P-value: 0.015). Variables significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being infected by intestinal parasites include living in a household with unfinished flouring, not wearing shoes, being in close proximity to rodents, and having improper waste disposal. Relatively simple interventional measures directed towards the improvement of household conditions, access to sanitary toilets, and promoting shoe wearing can significantly reduce childhood infections by GP and helminths in the Antioquia Department.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Hernández-Castro
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia; Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Madrid, Majadahonda 28220, Spain.
| | - Sonia Del Pilar Agudelo-López
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Angélica Patricia Medina-Lozano
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Diego López-García
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Luis Alfonso García-Tuberquia
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Jorge Humberto Botero-Garcés
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - María Cenelia Orozco-Peláez
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Manuela Bolaños-Muñoz
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Daniel Antonio Bejarano-Villafañe
- Parasitology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Corporation for the Study of Tropical Pathologies, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - David Carmena
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Madrid, Majadahonda 28220, Spain; Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) in Infectious Diseases, Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid 28008, Spain
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Lu C, Wang L, Jiang Y, Lan M, Wang F. Preconceptional, pregnant, and postnatal exposure to outdoor air pollution and indoor environmental factors: Effects on childhood parasitic infections. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169234. [PMID: 38101631 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parasitic infections (PIs) are common and pose substantial health hazards in children globally, but the fundamental environmental variables exposure during crucial time window(s) are unclear. OBJECTIVES To identify key indoor and outdoor environmental factors leading to childhood PIs throughout critical time window(s). METHODS A combined cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study was performed on 8689 children residing in Changsha, China. Data was acquired pertaining to the health status and environmental exposure of the children in their homes. Personal exposure to outdoor air pollutants at the residential address during the preconceptional, perinatal, and postnatal periods was computed using data from ten air quality monitoring stations. An analysis of the relationships between childhood PIs and both indoor and outdoor factors was conducted using a multiple logistic regression model. RESULTS Childhood PIs were associated with outdoor CO and ozone (O3) exposure during the 10th-12th months prior to pregnancy, with ORs (95 % CI) of 1.68 (1.24-2.27) and 1.60 (1.15-2.22), respectively; childhood PIs were also associated with CO exposure during one year prior to pregnancy and the first trimester in utero [ORs = 1.57 (1.14-2.15) and 1.52 (1.17-1.97)]. Childhood PIs were found to be associated with PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy and the first year, with odds ratios of 1.51 (1.14-2.00) and 1.95 (1.22-3.12) per IQR increase in pollutant exposure, respectively. Exposures to smoke, renovation-related indoor air pollution (IAP), dampness and plant-related indoor allergens in the early life and past year were all associated with childhood PI, with odds ratios (95 % CI) ranging from 1.40 (1.01-1.95) for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during pregnancy to 1.63 (1.12-2.37) for mold/damp stains in the past year. In terms of PI risk, the early life and present periods were critical time windows for outdoor and indoor exposures, respectively. Certain individuals were more vulnerable to the PI risk associated with both indoor and outdoor exposures. Antibiotic use during child's lifetime and early years increased and decreased the PI risk of exposure to outdoor and indoor environments, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to outdoor air pollution in early life and indoor environments in the past year were found to be associated with childhood PI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Lu
- XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Lin Wang
- XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mengju Lan
- XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Faming Wang
- Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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