The prevalence of foodborne parasites in raw vegetables in Iran: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis

Foodborne parasites in raw vegetables could cause parasitic infections in humans. An effective approach to the reduction of pathogenic microorganisms in vegetables involves identifying the main sources of contamination and the ecology of the involved microorganisms. This review aimed to evaluate the prevalence of foodborne parasites in raw vegetables in Iran. According to the reviewed studies, the prevalence rate of Ascaris spp., Giardia spp., Toxocara spp., Fasciola , Trichuris , Cryptosporidium , Dicrocoeliasis , Taenia spp., and Entamoeba histolytica was 6 % (95 % CI: 5–8 %), 6 % (95 % CI: 5–7 %), 6 % (95 % CI: 4–7 %), 2 % (95 % CI: 1–2 %), 1 % (95 % CI: 1–2 %), 10 % (95 % CI: 6–15 %), 2 % (95 % CI: 1–3 %), 5 % (95 % CI: 4–6 %), and 3 % (95 % CI: 2–4 %), respectively. According to the standard deviation map, Ilam province was one of the high-risk areas in terms of food-borne parasites in raw vegetables (3 SD