Intestinal Parasitic and Bacteriological Contamination of Raw Vegetables From Selected Farms and Markets in Nekemte, Ethiopia

This study was conducted to assess the extent of intestinal parasitic and bacterial contamination of raw vegetables sold at Nekemte town and collected from selected farms near to Nekemte town. Samples of three different vegetables; cabbages, lettuce and carrots were collected from Nekemte town and selected farms and all samples were examined for intestinal parasites and bacterial contamination, to determine bacterial load and prevalence intestinal parasites. The results show that cabbages were found to be the most heavily contaminated vegetable in both farms and in markets by aerobic bacteria. The highest total coliform count was also recorded from lettuce in all vegetable farms. The highest faecal coliform count was recorded in cabbage sampled from selected farms. The high microbial contamination rates associated with these vegetable samples indicated poor water quality for irrigation employed in the overall production of vegetables in the study area.