Protozoan parasites and free-living amoebae contamination in organic leafy green vegetables and strawberries from Spain.

ABSTRACT: In this study, the presence of Acanthamoeba spp., Blastocystis sp., Cryptosporidium spp., Cyclospora cayetanensis, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia sp., Toxoplasma gondii and Vermamoeba vermiformis was assessed in organic leafy green vegetables (lettuce, spinach, cabbage) and fruits (strawberry), which are usually consumed raw. A total of 110 organic samples were collected in Valencia (Spain). Protozoa were concentrated before detection by immunofluorescence (Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia sp.) or real-time qPCR (Acanthamoeba spp., Blastocystis sp., C. cayetanensis, E. histolytica, T. gondii and V. vermiformis). The most abundant protozoa in organic vegetables and berry fruits were Acantham

SUBMITTER: Moreno-Mesonero L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10316001 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature