Abstract :
Background: Food handlers are essential in maintaining food safety and hygiene. However, they can unintentionally transmit parasitic infections due to inadequate hygiene practices. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among food service employees and vendors at the university.
Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2021 to August 2022 at the Microbiology laboratory of a tertiary care hospital in Gujarat, involving 90 food handlers in and around the university campus. Participants included campus mess employees, cafeteria employees, hospital-affiliated canteen employees, Nescafe booth workers, and stall vendors outside the campus. After the consent, Data on demographics and hygiene practices were collected using a validated questionnaire. Stool samples were analyzed using the wet mount, iodine mount, and concentration methods.
Results: Parasitic forms were detected in 13 out of 90 food handlers (14.44%). The most common parasitic forms identified were the fertilized eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides, eggs of Taenia species, and the cysts of Giardia lamblia. A comparison between vendors inside and outside the campus revealed a higher rate among campus vendors (34.2% vs. 25%). An increase in the parasitic carriage rate was significantly associated with various factors such as insufficient handwashing before cooking food (P = 0.005, OR: 5.743) and after excretion (P < 0 xss=removed xss=removed xss=removed xss=removed>
Conclusion: The outcomes highlight the inevitability of periodic screenings of food handlers for parasitic carriage along with the conduction of regular educational workshops, focussing mainly on WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) behaviors and parasitic infections.
Keyword :
Carriers, Food handlers, Hygiene, Intestinal parasites, Screening, Sanitation