Parasitic contamination in vegetables for human consumption: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Rafael Alves SantomauroFernanda Pinto-FerreiraNathália Miasato PimontMariana da Silva MarquesMaria Clara Soares LemosWinni Alves LadeiaLetícia Santos BalbinoItalmar Teodorico NavarroPublished in: Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria (2024)
The study conducted a review of the parasitological profile of vegetables from 2001 to 2021, considering the type, consumption, and cultivation, globally. The databases searched included MEDLINE, SciELO, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus using the terms "Detection OR Prevalence OR Incidence OR occurrence OR contamination AND vegetable OR fruit AND Helminth OR egg OR Parasite OR cysts OR protozoa". A total of 16,600 articles were found, 117 of which were reviewed. Of the 391,291 samples, 3.85% (15,095) were contaminated by parasites. Among those positive, 30.10% (4,543/15,095) contained enteroparasites commonly of human origin and 58.78% (8,873/15,095) came from markets. Few articles mentioned the cultivation type, but among those, conventional cultivation showed more contamination (42.34%; 224/529). Herbaceous vegetables were the most contaminated (56.84%; 8,580/15,095. Ascaris lumbricoides was found in 10.16% (1,535/15,095) of the samples. Lettuce was the most contaminated (20.43%; 3,084/15,095).