PARASITIC CONTAMINATION OF FRUIT AND BERRY PRODUCTS OF THE ASTRAKHAN REGION

Abstract

Objective: To study and analyse the parasitic contamination of fruit and berry products of the Astrakhan region. Methods: 7776 studies were carried out using 4792 samples of food products. In the structure of all food products, the share of fruit and berry products was 8.9% (n=267), of which 3.4% (n=9) did not correspond to the norm. Results: The percentage of fruit samples that failed to meet parasitological parameters was 1.9% (n=2); in these samples, immobile larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis were found. In addition, samples of 13 berry fruit species were examined for the presence of parasites (5.3%, n=159). The percentage of suboptimal samples was 4.4% (n=7), in these samples dead larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis were detected in 57.2% (n=4), Opisthorchis felineus eggs (28.6%, n=2) and mixed invasion of Toxocara canis eggs with dead larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis (14.2%, n=1). Conclusion: The presence of helminth eggs (Opisthorchis) indicates soil contamination with faeces from infested people. Thus, there was direct contact between soil and the test samples contaminated with the parasite’s eggs in these settings. Furthermore, dead Strongyloides larvae and Toxocara eggs in the studied samples indicate that the soil was contaminated with the faeces of infested animals. Thus, the samples were taken not from a tree but directly from contaminated soil.

Keywords

• parasitic safety
• fruit and berry products
• toxocara
• roundworms
• strongyloides
• helminth eggs and larvae