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. 2014 Nov 18:3:675.
doi: 10.1186/2193-1801-3-675. eCollection 2014.

HAV in fresh vegetables: a hidden health risk in district Mardan, Pakistan

Waleed Khan  1 , Muhammad Irshad  1 , Gauhar Rehman  2 , Anwar Hussain  1
Affiliations

HAV in fresh vegetables: a hidden health risk in district Mardan, Pakistan

Waleed Khan et al. Springerplus. .

Abstract

Hepatitis A is an acute inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) in human. The path of entry of HAV to the bloodstream is the epithelium of the intestine. Liver inflammation occurs when HAV multiplies within the hepatocytes and Kupffer cells of the liver. HAV is mostly transmitted by contaminated water, fruits and vegetables. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate fresh vegetables raised on the fecal contaminated water for the detection of HAV by PCR method. Twenty nine samples were collected from 13 different locations of district Mardan and screened for the presence of HAV. Village Bajowro near Takht Bhai was the most contaminated site having HAV in all vegetables grown over there. Water samples collected from this area proved to be contaminated with HAV. It may be concluded that fecal contaminated water is unsafe for irrigation because of the health risk associated with such practices.

Keywords: Domestic sewage; Hepatitis A virus; PCR; Vegetables.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sampling sites are shown (starred) on the map of District Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Single PCR product (416 bp) in wells labelled as c (control), 9a ( L. acutangula ), 10a ( C. pepo ) and 1b ( M. piperita ), evidencing the presence of HAV in vegetables sampled from Bajowro kale near Takht Bhai. Agarose gel shows RT-PCR results of different vegetable samples. No PCR product was detected in vegetables collected from Location 1 (1a, Cauliflower; 2a, tomato; 3a, Ridge-gourd ), Location 2 (4a, Brinjal; 5a, Ridge-gourd; 6a, Pumpkin), Location 4 (7a, Bittergourd; 8a, Pumpkin), Locaton 5 (2b, Bittergourd; 3b, Pumpkin), and Location 6 (4b, Pumpkin; 5b, Ridge-gourd).
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