Potential Transmission of Human Fascioliasis Through Traditional Local Foods, in Northern Iran

Ingestion of infective metacercariae, attached to watercress or othe r variou s species of water and terrestrial plants, has been implicated as the main source of human contamination by fasciolid fluke s. Presence of several species of aromatic wild grown plants, which are eaten fresh on the table or used for preparation of some plant-made foods (Detar, mixture of salt and ground local plants, as a paste and Zeitoon-Parvardeh , olives in walnut sauce, as an appeti zer) have been suggested to play a role in human contamination in the endemic zone of fasciol iasis, in Gilan province, northern Iran. The aim of the pre sent study was to evaluate the impact of ingredients using for preparation of these local foods on viability and infectivity of liver fluke meta cercariae. Metacercariae for this study were obtained by experimental infections of Lymnaea gedrosiana, collected from Bandar Anzali endemic zone. The viability and infec tivity of metacercariae kept in Zeitoon-Parvardeh and Delar was checked by microscopical analyses and animal infection assays. The results indicate the possibility of human contamination following consumption of these traditional food s when prepared with fresh vegetables presenting attached metac ercariae.