PREVALENCE OF PARASITIC INFECTIONS IN RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES IN CAXIAS DO SUL, RS, BRAZIL

Abstract

Sanitary conditions as a food security factor have been widely studied and discussed worldwide. In Brazil, despite the relevance and the related issue with food and handler contamination by microorganisms, there are few studies assessing enteroparasitosis in these workers. The consumption of food contaminated by parasitic structures in the environment or by infected handlers forms the transmission chain of these parasitoses, this factor being considered one of the most important means of dissemination. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of parasitic infections in restaurant employees in Caxias do Sul. Analyses were performed on the results of feces parasitological tests conducted between 2011 and 2014 ina laboratory in Caxias do Sul. Of 331 tests evaluated, the presence of parasites was noted in 10.3%, of which 44.1% presented Endolimax nana, 32.4% Entamoeba coli, 14.7% Giardia duodenalis, 5.9% Trichuris trichiura and 2.9% Enterobius vermicularis. This evidenced that food handlers are parasite carriers and transmitters, thus reinforcing the need for effective public health measures to control or minimize the risk of infection and contamination, and the importance of periodically testing fecal samples in workers involved in food handling.