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      Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in certified food-handlers working in food establishments in the City of Nairobi, Kenya

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          Abstract

          Most intestinal parasites are cosmopolitan with the highest prevalence in the tropics and subtopics. Rural-to-urban migration rapidly increases the number of food eating places in towns and their environs. Some of these eating estabishments have poor sanitation and are overcrowded, facilitating disease transmission, especially through food-handling. Our investigations in Nairobi, therefore, were set to determine the presence of intestinal parasites in food-handlers with valid medical certificates. Direct and concentrated stool processing techniques were used. Chisquare test and ANOVA were used for data analysis. The parasites Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia were observed in certified food-handlers. Significant difference was found in parasite frequency by eating classes and gender (χ 2 = 9.49, P = 0.73), ( F = 1.495, P = 0.297), but not in parasite occurrence between age brackets (χ 2 = 6.99, P = 0.039). The six-month medical certificate validity period may contribute significantly to the presence of intestinal parasites in certified food-handlers.

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          Prevalence of Bacteria and Intestinal Parasites among Food-handlers in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia

          Gashaw Andargie, Afework Kassu, Feleke Moges … (2008)
          Food-handlers with poor personal hygiene working in food-service establishments could be potential sources of infection due to pathogenic organisms. The study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of bacteria and intestinal parasites among 127 food-handlers working in the cafeterias of the University of Gondar and the Gondar Teachers Training College, Gondar, Ethiopia. Fingernail contents of both the hands and stool specimens were collected from all the 127 food-handlers. The samples were examined for bacteria and intestinal parasites following standard procedures. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the predominant bacteria species (41.7%) isolated from fingernail contents, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (16.5%), Klebsiella species (5.5%), Escherichia coli (3.1%), Serratia species (1.58%), Citrobacter species (0.8%), and Enterobacter species (0.8%). Shigella species were isolated from stool samples of four food-handlers (3.1%). None of the food-handlers was positive for Salmonella species and Shigella species in res-pect of their fingernail contents. No intestinal parasites were detected from fingernail contents. Intestinal parasites detected in the stools of the food-handlers included Ascaris lumbricoides (18.11%), Strongyloides stercoralis (5.5%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (1.6%), Trichuris trichiura (1.6%), hookworm species (0.8%), Gardia lamblia (0.8%), and Schistosoma mansoni (0.8%); 1.6% of the study subjects were positive for each of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, hookworm, and G. lamblia. The findings emphasize the importance of food-handlers as potential sources of infections and suggest health institutions for appropriate hygienic and sanitary control measures.
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            Selective mass treatment with ivermectin to control intestinal helminthiases and parasitic skin diseases in a severely affected population.

            Marion Muehlen, Oliver Liesenfeld, Maria K T Wilcke … (2004)
            To assess the short-term and long-term impact of selective mass treatment with ivermectin on the prevalence of intestinal helminthiases and parasitic skin diseases in an economically depressed community in north-east Brazil. An intervention was carried out in a traditional fishing village in north-east Brazil where the population of 605 is heavily affected by ectoparasites and enteroparasites. The prevalence of intestinal helminths was determined by serial stool examination and the prevalence of parasitic skin diseases by clinical inspection. A total of 525 people out of a target population of 576 were treated at baseline. The majority of these were treated with ivermectin (200 microg/kg with a second dose given after 10 days). If ivermectin was contraindicated, participants were treated with albendazole or mebendazole for intestinal helminths or with topical deltamethrin for ectoparasites. Follow-up examinations were performed at 1 month and 9 months after treatment. Prevalence rates of intestinal helminthiases before treatment and at 1 month and 9 months after mass treatment were: hookworm disease 28.5%, 16.4% and 7.7%; ascariasis 17.1%, 0.4% and 7.2%; trichuriasis 16.5%, 3.4% and 9.4%; strongyloidiasis 11.0%, 0.6% and 0.7%; and hymenolepiasis 0.6%; 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively. Prevalence rates of parasitic skin diseases before treatment and 1 month and 9 months after mass treatment were: active pediculosis 16.1%, 1.0% and 10.3%; scabies 3.8%, 1.0% and 1.5%; cutaneous larva migrans 0.7%, 0% and 0%; tungiasis 51.3%, 52.1% and 31.2%, respectively. Adverse events occurred in 9.4% of treatments. They were all of mild to moderate severity and were transient. Mass treatment with ivermectin was an effective and safe means of reducing the prevalence of most of the parasitic diseases prevalent in a poor community in north-east Brazil. The effects of treatment lasted for a prolonged period of time.
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              Ascaris and ascariasis.

              Peter D Crompton (2000)
              In recent years much new information has been obtained about the epidemiology, population biology and public health significance of infections of Ascaris lumbricoides in humans. Results from experimental infections of A. suum in pigs have helped to elucidate the observations made in the community on human ascariasis. The main purpose of the review is to see how new information may contribute to further acceptance of ascariasis as a serious contributor to ill-health and so to the design and implementation of sustainable control programmes intended to reduce the morbidity due to infection with A. lumbricoides. Eradication is neither a realistic nor prudent aim given the current shortage of appropriate sanitation in many countries where ascariasis is endemic. A substantial body of evidence shows that for the four common species of soil-transmitted nematode, including A. lumbricoides, regular administration of broad-spectrum anthelminthic drugs to children attending primary schools is a cost-effective means of controlling the infections. Anthelminthic drugs must be of proven quality and efficacy and health professionals should be prepared to detect and manage drug resistance should that emerge. Despite a deeper understanding of the immune response of a variety of hosts to infections with either A. lumbricoides or A. suum there is at present little prospect of an effective vaccine against ascariasis. The relationship between A. lumbricoides and A. suum is addressed, particularly since both species, if they are indeed separate species, occur in people and their pigs in many communities.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Biomed Res
                Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J Biomed Res
                Journal ID (publisher-id): JBR
                Title: Journal of Biomedical Research
                Publisher: Editorial Department of Journal of Biomedical Research
                ISSN (Print): 1674-8301
                Publication date (Print): March 2012
                Volume: 26
                Issue: 2
                Pages: 84-89
                Affiliations
                [a ]Department of Zoological Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya;
                [b ]Department of Pathology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya;
                [c ]Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, Nairobi, Kenya;
                [d ]Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya;
                [e ]Division of Vector Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Embu, Kenya.
                Author notes
                *Corresponding author: Obadiah Mucheru, Ph.D, Division of Vector Borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases, P.O Box 1905-60100, Embu, Kenya. Tel: +254-737250758, E-mail: obadiahmucheru@ 123456yahoo.com .
                Article
                Publisher ID: jbr-26-02-084
                DOI: 10.1016/S1674-8301(12)60016-5
                PMC ID: 3597323
                PubMed ID: 23554735
                SO-VID: 3d160d74-f19e-4a12-a659-121518bea461
                Copyright © © 2012 by the Journal of Biomedical Research. All rights reserved.
                License:

                This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

                History
                Date received : 6 August 2011
                Date revision received : 10 September 2011
                Date accepted : 5 October 2011
                Categories
                Subject: Research Paper

                Keywords: parasites,food-handlers,medical certificate,food establishments
                Data availability:
                Keywords: parasites, food-handlers, medical certificate, food establishments

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