Author(s)

Mohammad Al-Awadhi¹, Jamshaid Iqbal^2*

¹Research Core Facility, College of Medicine, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait.
²Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait.

Introduction: Various parasitic infections are transmitted via consumption of contaminated raw vegetables and fruits, and parasite species vary by geographic location, environmental conditions, and produce type. To our knowledge, there are no reports on the parasitic contamination of vegetables in Kuwait. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of parasites on various locally grown and imported fresh leafy vegetables in Kuwait. Methods: From February 2023 to February 2024, 180 fresh leafy vegetables were purchased from the central fruits and vegetable market and transported to the Research Core Facility, College of Medicine, Kuwait University. The vegetables were thoroughly washed, the rinsate centrifuged, and the pellet collected to prepare iodine-stained wet mounts and safranin-methylene blue smears. The specimens were examined for parasites by light microscopy and statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel^® Analysis ToolPak software. Result: Parasitic contamination was detected on 10 out of 180 (5.6%) vegetables, from which 10 parasite species were identified. The parasitic load was approximately 100 - 300 eggs/cysts/larvae per 300 grams of vegetable. The Jordanian lettuce had the highest parasitic contamination (3 out of 20, 15.0%) with 4 species (i.e., Hymenolepis diminuta, Entamoeba coli, Iodamoeba spp., and Anoplocephala spp.), followed by Kuwaiti celery leaves (3 out of 20, 15.0%) with 3 species (i.e., Heterophyes heterophyes, Strongyloides stercoralis larva, and Sarcocystis spp.), while 2 out of 20 (10.0%) Kuwaiti arugula bunches had Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia intestinalis cyst. Only 1 out of 20 (5.0%) Kuwaiti parsley bunches was contaminated with Eimeria spp. oocyst, and 1 out of 20 (5.0%) Jordanian iceberg lettuce heads was contaminated with Strongyloides spp. egg containing larva. Conclusion: This is the first report on the prevalence of parasitic contamination of fresh leafy vegetables in Kuwait. These findings highlight the importance of effective public health measures, including washing vegetables before consumption to reduce the risk of transmission to humans.

Parasite, Prevalence, Contamination, Vegetables, Kuwait

Al-Awadhi, M. and Iqbal, J. (2025) Prevalence of Parasitic Contamination of Locally Grown and Imported Fresh Leafy Vegetables Sold in an Open Market in Kuwait. Advances in Infectious Diseases, 15, 45-56. doi: 10.4236/aid.2025.151004.