PARASITOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF READY TO EAT FRUITS SOLD AT UMUAHIA METROPOLIS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page                                                                                                                                ii

Certification                                                                                                                            iii

Dedication                                                                                                                              iv

Acknowledgement                                                                                                                  v

Table of contents                                                                                                                    vi

List of tables                                                                                                                           vii

Abstract                                                                                                                                  viii

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       Introduction                                                                                                                1

1.1       Aims and objectives                                                                                                    3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0       Literature review                                                                                                         4

2.1       Sanitation of fruits                                                                                                      5

2.2.      Importance of cleaning and sanitation of fruits                                                          10

CHAPTER THREE

3.0       Materials and methods                                                                                                12

3.1       Study area and sampling sites                                                                                     12

3.2       Sample                                                                                                                        12

3.3       Parasitological examination of fruits (macroscopic)                                                   13

3.4       Parasitological examination of fruits (microscopic)                                                    13

3.5       Concentration of eggs or larva of cysts                                                                      14

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0       Results                                                                                                                        16

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0       Discussion and conclusion                                                                                          21

5.1       Discussion                                                                                                                   21

5.2       Conclusion                                                                                                                  21

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1:           Collection of different categories of fruit samples from markets                   14

in Umuahia metropolis

Table 2:           Prevalence of parasite ova and cysts in relation to fruits sold at                    17

different sampling market at Umuahia metropolis                

Table 3:           Distribution of intestinal parasites in relation to the types of fresh                18

                        Fruits samples collected from different market in Umuahia metropolis

Table 4:           Frequency (%) of occurrence of intestinal parasites in fresh fruits                 19

Samples collected from different market in Umuahia metropolis

Table 5:           Distribution of parasites on fruits in the study area                                        20

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Among horticultural crops, fruits are of great importance for an adequate and balance human diet. In certain part of the world, fruits are the major dietary staple.

Apart from being a rich source of vitamins, and minerals, the production of fruits also contributes significantly to regional and national economics through national and international trade. The term fruit has many different meaning depending on the context.

A fruit is a ripened ovary together with seeds of a flowering plant. Fruits are the means through which flowering plants disseminate seeds (Lewis, 2002).

In cuisine when food items are called “fruits” the term is most often used for those plants fruits that are edible, sweet, and fresh examples are: apples, and oranges.

Fruits are cultivated in areas where the environmental factors are suitable for their growth. Umuahia in Abia state is considered one of the areas that have good cultivating land for great yield of fruits and this is done usually during rainy season or use of irrigation during dry season. Irrigation water is achieved by different sources like lake, stream, river, ponds etc. which may be polluted with animal and human feaces. Due to high number of eggs, cyst and larvae of human intestinal parasites resent in the water, the use of excreta polluted water is a health risk to both farmers and the consumers that eat the produce raw and fresh, like apples, guava, pear and mango (Scolf, 1992 ).

Pollination is a vital at of fruit culture, and in few species, they may develop in the absence of pollination/fertilization, a process kwown as ‘parthernocarpy’ such fruit are seedless (Mauseth and James, 2003). Many foods are botanically fruits, but are treated as vegetables in cooking and food preparations. Examples are Tomatoes, eggplant, pumpkin and pears etc. (Mcgee and Harold 2004). Ethylene causes ripening in fruits

There are three tyes of fruits

1.      Simple fruit

  2. Aggregate fruit and

  3. Multiple fruit

Simple fruits can be either fresh or dry. Examples are carrot, wheat, tomato, avocado, banana etc. (Schelegel, 2002).

The examples of an aggregate fruits are pineapple, bread fruits etc. some fruits have coat covered with spikes or hooked burr, either to prevent them from being eaten by animals or using them as disperal agents e.g unicorn plant (Heiser and charles 2003). Many fruits are used to make beverages and fruit juice (Orange juice, Apple juice, Grape juice etc.) or alcoholic beverages, such as wine or brandy. Apples are often used to make vinegar. Mcgee (2004) fruits are

contaminated with parasites and some parasite infections which have direct life cycle and do not need an intermediate host to infect a new host are via feacal-orally transmitted parasites. Infections acquired through direct ingestion of infective egg or cyst is intimately linked with level of personal hygiene and sanitation in the community. Factors like the lack of latrine and adequate sewage disposal facilities have been known to contribute to the spread of the infective

states of the parasites thereby bringing about a wide spread contamination of foods. Infection can be acquired through contaminated unwashed fingers, insects, circulation of currency and by wind during dry season.

Contamination of fruits with eggs and cyst especially those hawked by fruit vendors may also serve as a source of infection to consumers of such fruits items.  

These parasites includes: entamoeba histolystica, Giardia duodenace, Trichuris

trichura, Ascaris Lumbricoides and Benterobius vermiculai (WHO, 2000).

Amoebiasis is known to cause about 450 million infections per annum in developing countries with an incidence of about 50 million and 100,000 deaths.

Giardiais is more common in children and has a world wide prevalence of about 1-30% (Wov and Paterson, 1986). Ascaris is the commonest nematodes of man especially in tropical Africa with a prevalence of about 40% in Abia State (Reonthalaer, 1988). And may be as high as 96-100% in the rural community in Abia State.The resistance capacity of the eggs and cyst of these parasites is a feature of profound influence on the epidemiology.

Eggs of Ascaris can remain viable for up to six years. (Njom,2002). Many people who eat fresh fruit as part of an overall health diet are likely to have reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduce risk for stroke, diabetes, certain cancers such as (mouth), heart, diseases, developing kidney stone, and decreases bone loss.

Fruit reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida and anecephaly during fetal development (Ayer, 2001). Fruits are very important in human consumption especially health wise. Parasites that affect fruits need to be controlled in a proper process in order not to affect those that are of medially important. The major way of selecting the appropriate intervention stops to reduce population to pathogenic microorganism on fruits is to identify sources of contamination and ecology of the pathogens as it is affected by processing practices. Organism like; Samonella, Cryptosproridium, Cyclospora, Giardia, are among the disease causing organisms that have been transferred via fresh fruits (Sushow, 1997).The use of disinfectant like chlorine, in wash water can also help to prevent both host harvest disease and food borne illnesses.

The evaluation of these medically important parasites found in fruits will depend on the knowledge of the factors contributing to the spread of such parasites including the activities of fruit vendors at Umuahia market and then affect on the distribution of these parasites.

1.1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1.      To determine the parasites of medical importance in fruits sold at Umuahia market in Abia State.

2.      To determine whether washing of fruits with untreated water eliminates the parasites of      

medical importance (pathogenic parasites) from them.

3. To determine whether fruits are safe to be eaten without washing.

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