Estacionalidad de parásitos y bacterias intestinales en hortalizas que se consumen crudas en Costa Rica

Abstract

In Costa Rica, a total of 640 samples from eight different vegetables used for raw consumption, were anaIyzed for the presence of intestinal parasites and fecal coliforms. Eighty samples of each vegetable were analyzed, forty during the dry season and for ty in the rainy. A greater, but unsignificant (p> 0.05) level of fecal coliforms was found during the dry season. Levels of Eseheriehia eoli, were higher (p< 0.05) during the dry season in lettuce (Latuea sativa) and cilantro (Coleandrum sativum) leaves. Cysts of Endolimax nana, Entamoeba eoli, Entamoeba histolytiea, Giardia intestínalis and Crypto-sporidium sp. were found in al! vegetables. The greater percentage of positive samples was found during the dry season, although these relation was only corroborated (p< 0.05) in radish (Raphanus sativus) and cHantro leaves. Only lettuce and ciJantro levels showed a positive linear correlation (p< 0.05) between occurrences of intestinal parasites and fecal coliforms.