Original Article The enteroparasitic contamination of commercial vegetables in Gaza Governorates. Rodina M. Al-Shawa and Saleh N. Mwafy. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University of Gaza, Gaza, Palestine. Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the parasitological contamination of vegetables to be consumed raw and commercialized in Gaza Governorates. Methodology: We studied 216 samples of vegetables including parsley, dill, rocket, cucumber, red cabbage and purslane collected from markets in Gaza Governorates and Rafah Governorates, between June and August 2006. The study was carried out in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University of Gaza. The vegetables were washed in tap water; the washing solution was then centrifuged and the sediments were examined for parasites. Results: The prevalence of the parasites was 22.5% in rocket, 17.5% in each of parsley and purslane, 16.3% in dill, 13.7% in red cabbage, and 12.5% in cucumber. The statistical analysis indicated that Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis and Ascaris lumbricoides were the most common isolated parasites. Conclusions: It may be concluded that parasites are common in vegetables that are frequently eaten raw and the use of tap water does little to remove them. These findings could open a new avenue of research in vegetables. Key Words: enteroparasites, contamination, vegetables, Gaza Governorates. J Infect Developing Countries 2007; 1(1):62-66. Received 26 April 2007 - Accepted 13 May 2007. Copyright © 2007 Rodina M. Al-Shawa and Saleh N. Mwafy. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Introduction Food-borne illnesses are caused by organisms or harmful chemicals in food consumed by either eating or drinking. Most of these illnesses are caused when certain bacteria, viruses, or parasites contaminate food [1]. Vegetables, particularly those eaten raw and without peeling, have been demonstrated to be a vehicle for transmission of a range of parasites. Various parasites that have been associated with vegetables include species of protozoan [2-4] and helminthes [5-7]. The degree of contamination caused by parasites in commonly used leafy vegetables has been studied in Saudi Arabia. This study revealed that the prevalence of parasites was 28% in green onion, 25% in radish, 17% in watercress, 17% in lettuce, and 13% in leek. Also the parasites were more common in the months of September to December [8]. Five species of parasitic eggs (Ascarid, Trichurid, Trichostrongylus, Clonorchis and hookworms) and 2 larvae (filariform and rhabditoid) were found in a parasitic survey on vegetables collected from markets and vegetable gardens in the Taegu area [9]. Epidemiological research carried out in different areas in Gaza Governorates has shown that the social and economical situation of the individuals is an important factor in the prevalence of intestinal parasites. In addition, poor sanitary and environmental conditions are known to be relevant in the propagation of these infectious agents [10-12]. No studies to our knowledge have examined the enteroparasitic contamination of commercial vegetables in Gaza Governorates. Therefore, this is the first study to investigate the enteroparasitic contamination of commercial vegetables in Gaza Governorates and provides a clear picture on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in common vegetables that are frequently eaten raw. These findings could open a new avenue of research in vegetables and could also lead to better practices in growing and handling vegetables to protect against intestinal parasitic infections.