Investigation on the Pattern of Intestinal Parasites Present in Refuse Dumps and Abattoir Wastes in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Waste, soil, animal waste and sewage sludge are common sources of manure used to fertilize agricultural fields. The use of community waste, human excrement and effluents from slaughterhouses to fertilize agricultural fields is gaining importance. This practice is especially true in developing countries due to the rising costs of chemical fertilizers which have become unaffordable for many farmers and also due to the increasing demand for basic foodstuffs, some villagers are also used to using pond or stream water for which effluents have been discharged to wet the floor of their hut. Recycling wastewater for agricultural irrigation can give a strong economic boost as it helps conserve resources and protect the environment by preventing pollution of rivers, protecting water quality and preventing intrusion seawater in coastal areas. The presence, prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasites in waste, human and animal waste have been reasonably reported in different parts of the world. The most important of these parasites are Entamoeba Histolytica, Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm, Balantidium coli, Trichomonas hominis, Taenia saginata. Recent epidemiological studies have indicated that in regions of the world where helminthic diseases are endemic in the population and where raw untreated wastewater is used to irrigate vegetables and other salads generally consumed uncooked, the consumption of this vegetable wastewater irrigated can lead to infection parasites. These studies have also indicated that, regardless of the level of municipal sanitary and personal hygiene, the irrigation of vegetables and salad crops with raw sewage can serve as the main route for lasting exposure to helminthic infections

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