Determination of the Occurrence of Toxoplasma Gondii, Giardia Duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in leafy Greens in Marrakech using a Molecular Method

Abstract Background: The association between the parasitic illnesses and the consumption of contaminated food is more and more described. However, there is still a lack of studies investigating the occurrence of parasitic contamination in food matrices. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of T. gondii and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts and G. duodenalis cysts, in three leafy greens (coriander, lettuce and parsley) commonly consumed raw. Methods: A total of 152 leafy green samples were collected in Marrakech from April 2018 to October 2019. Parasites were eluted and concentrated before detection of their DNA by real-time qPCR. Results: The analysis revealed an overall rate of contamination of 32.2% (49/152), with 29.6% (45/152) positive for T. gondii , 2.6% (4/152) for G. duodenalis, while Cryptosporidium spp was not detected. Conclusion : The results showed that leafy greens vegetables available in markets of Morocco are subjected to protozoan parasites contaminations. Thus, humans can be exposed to these parasites through vegetables consumption. Further investigations can be performed to acquire new epidemiological data on the health risk of these protozoan diseases in Morocco.