Washing methods to avoid parasitic contamination of raw vegetables in Assiut, Egypt: A comparative efficacy study | ||
| Parasitologists United Journal | ||
| Article 11, Volume 18, Issue 2, September 2025, Pages 166-173 PDF (689.85 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/puj.2025.399843.1303 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Aya A Ahmed1; Fatma G Sayed2; Lamia A Galal3; Taghreed Ismail4; Sara Abdel-Aal5; Mona Gaber* 2 | ||
| 1Assiut Police Hospital, Infection Control Unit | ||
| 2Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71515, Egypt | ||
| 3Dept. Parasitology, Faculty medicine, Assiut Uni, Egypt | ||
| 4Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71515, Egypt | ||
| 5Assiut University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Postal code: 71515. Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Investigating simple, low-cost household washing methods is critical to avoid parasitic infections before consumption of fresh vegetables. Objective: To evaluate the effect of commonly feasible household washing methods and identify the most effective one for eliminating diverse infective parasitic stages. Material and Methods: A total of 202 samples of 6 different raw consumable vegetables were collected from local markets in Assiut, Egypt, and microscopically examined to confirm parasitic contamination. Each sample (~50 g) was subjected to four washing treatments: direct rinsing with distilled water (DW) and immediate removal (W1), soaking in diluted vinegar (4:1) for one hour (W2), soaking in DW for 1, and 24 h (W3, and W4, respectively). To provide quantitative and qualitative measures of decontamination efficacy, the wastewater of each wash was subjected to parasitological examination to assess parasite contamination frequency, and viability rate (%). Results: Among all tested methods, the vinegar-based washing method (W2) demonstrated optimal efficacy. It exhibited 82% reduction in pathogenic protozoan contamination, the highest decontamination rate. Prolonged soaking (W4) showed moderate efficacy (68% contamination reduction), while brief rinsing (W1) was the least effective. For helminth contaminants, W1 and W2 showed comparable efficacy (55-60% reduction, respectively). Although W2 achieved maximal pathogen inactivation (only 15.8% viable stages remaining) a significant (P<0.01) result versus other methods. No method eliminated all pathogenic stages, demonstrating the need for combined preventive approaches. Conclusion: Soaking in diluted vinegar not only eliminates infective parasitic stages more effectively, but also inactivates them, making it superior for ingestion of raw vegetables. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Assiut; Egypt; household washing; parasitic infections; raw vegetables; and vinegar | ||
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