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Helminth egg contamination of vegetables purchased at suburban market in Hanoi, Vietnam was examined. A total of 317 vegetables were examined and 82 (26%) were revealed to be positive for parasite eggs. Of the 15 varieties, 13 were positive except for horseradish and cucumber. Contamination was highest in leafy vegetables (31%), followed by root vegetables (17%) and fruit vegetables (3%). Throughout the survey, five species of parasite eggs were found: Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., Toxocara sp., Taenia sp. and Ascaridia galli. In the interview with the villagers, 121 (81%) of 149 adult villagers stated that they usually use not only animal feces but also human feces as a fertilizer. Throughout the survey, a total of 453 eggs were recovered. Number of eggs recovered from vegetables was higher in the dry season (355 eggs) than in the rainy season (98 eggs). The study revealed that vegetables purchased at a market in suburban Hanoi (Vietnam) were highly contaminated with parasite eggs excreted by humans and animals. Considering the eating habits of the Vietnamese and the 17% embryonation rate of detected parasites, vegetables seem to play an important role in soil-transmitted helminth infection in this country.

An epidemiological study on intestinal parasitic infections among schoolchildren in a suburban area of Hanoi, Vietnam, was conducted. Of the 217 schoolchildren involved in this study, 166 (76%) were positive for at least one of nine species of parasite (six helminths and three protozoa). Among the helminth parasites, Trichuris trichiura (67%) was detected the most frequently followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (34%) and hookworm (3%). In the case of protozoan parasites, Entamoeba coli (8%) was the most frequently detected followed by E. histolytica (2%). No Cryptosporidium parvum or Cyclospora sp were found. A questionnaire survey revealed that there was no positive relationship between parasite infection and the children's school records, educational background or parental income, which have been known to play a role.