Science Journal of Public Health

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Unhygienic Food Handling as a Source of Parasites and Pathogenic Bacteria in Dessie Town, North Eastern Ethiopia

Received: May 13, 2019    Accepted: Jun. 23, 2019    Published: Jul. 08, 2019
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Abstract

Background: Food handlers (individuals engaged in food preparation, transport and provision) are implicated in the transmission of foodborne diseases if appropriate hygienic practices are not maintained. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and bacteria among food handlers of Dessie town, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among asymptomatic food handlers. Stool microscopy and culture was performed on 135 food handlers to determine intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolated bacteria was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: The majority of the food handlers were females (n=112; 83%), 18-27 years old (n= 95; 70.4%), with grade 9-12 education (n=56; 41.5%) and single in marital status (n= 87; 64.4%). The prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens were 10.4% and 13.3%, respectively. Entaemoeba histolytica/E. dispar, (n=8; 5.9%) and Shigella species (n= 7; 5.2%) were the predominant parasitic and bacterial isolates respectively. Six (85.7%) of the Shigella isolates showed resistance to chloramphenicol and tetracycline while the single isolated Pseudomonas species showed resistance to all tested antimicrobials. Conclusion: Potentially contagious enteric bacterial pathogens and intestinal parasites were identified from food handlers who were presumed healthy. Hence, periodic screening of food handlers, and training on food handling and hand hygiene practices for food handlers is highly needed.

DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15
Published in Science Journal of Public Health ( Volume 7, Issue 3, May 2019 )
Page(s) 98-103
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Intestinal Parasite, Food Handler, Dessie Town, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Enteric Bacterial Pathogens, Food Safety

References
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  • APA Style

    Brhanu Teka, Assefa Mulu, Muluneh Ademe. (2019). Unhygienic Food Handling as a Source of Parasites and Pathogenic Bacteria in Dessie Town, North Eastern Ethiopia. Science Journal of Public Health, 7(3), 98-103. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15

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    ACS Style

    Brhanu Teka; Assefa Mulu; Muluneh Ademe. Unhygienic Food Handling as a Source of Parasites and Pathogenic Bacteria in Dessie Town, North Eastern Ethiopia. Sci. J. Public Health 2019, 7(3), 98-103. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15

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    AMA Style

    Brhanu Teka, Assefa Mulu, Muluneh Ademe. Unhygienic Food Handling as a Source of Parasites and Pathogenic Bacteria in Dessie Town, North Eastern Ethiopia. Sci J Public Health. 2019;7(3):98-103. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15,
      author = {Brhanu Teka and Assefa Mulu and Muluneh Ademe},
      title = {Unhygienic Food Handling as a Source of Parasites and Pathogenic Bacteria in Dessie Town, North Eastern Ethiopia},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {7},
      number = {3},
      pages = {98-103},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20190703.15},
      abstract = {Background: Food handlers (individuals engaged in food preparation, transport and provision) are implicated in the transmission of foodborne diseases if appropriate hygienic practices are not maintained. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and bacteria among food handlers of Dessie town, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among asymptomatic food handlers. Stool microscopy and culture was performed on 135 food handlers to determine intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolated bacteria was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: The majority of the food handlers were females (n=112; 83%), 18-27 years old (n= 95; 70.4%), with grade 9-12 education (n=56; 41.5%) and single in marital status (n= 87; 64.4%). The prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens were 10.4% and 13.3%, respectively. Entaemoeba histolytica/E. dispar, (n=8; 5.9%) and Shigella species (n= 7; 5.2%) were the predominant parasitic and bacterial isolates respectively. Six (85.7%) of the Shigella isolates showed resistance to chloramphenicol and tetracycline while the single isolated Pseudomonas species showed resistance to all tested antimicrobials. Conclusion: Potentially contagious enteric bacterial pathogens and intestinal parasites were identified from food handlers who were presumed healthy. Hence, periodic screening of food handlers, and training on food handling and hand hygiene practices for food handlers is highly needed.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Unhygienic Food Handling as a Source of Parasites and Pathogenic Bacteria in Dessie Town, North Eastern Ethiopia
    AU  - Brhanu Teka
    AU  - Assefa Mulu
    AU  - Muluneh Ademe
    Y1  - 2019/07/08
    PY  - 2019
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
    SP  - 98
    EP  - 103
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20190703.15
    AB  - Background: Food handlers (individuals engaged in food preparation, transport and provision) are implicated in the transmission of foodborne diseases if appropriate hygienic practices are not maintained. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and bacteria among food handlers of Dessie town, Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among asymptomatic food handlers. Stool microscopy and culture was performed on 135 food handlers to determine intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolated bacteria was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: The majority of the food handlers were females (n=112; 83%), 18-27 years old (n= 95; 70.4%), with grade 9-12 education (n=56; 41.5%) and single in marital status (n= 87; 64.4%). The prevalence of intestinal parasites and enteric bacterial pathogens were 10.4% and 13.3%, respectively. Entaemoeba histolytica/E. dispar, (n=8; 5.9%) and Shigella species (n= 7; 5.2%) were the predominant parasitic and bacterial isolates respectively. Six (85.7%) of the Shigella isolates showed resistance to chloramphenicol and tetracycline while the single isolated Pseudomonas species showed resistance to all tested antimicrobials. Conclusion: Potentially contagious enteric bacterial pathogens and intestinal parasites were identified from food handlers who were presumed healthy. Hence, periodic screening of food handlers, and training on food handling and hand hygiene practices for food handlers is highly needed.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  • Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  • Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  • Section