Parasitic Contamination of Irrigation Water, Soils and Vegetables Grown around Koza and Sabke Dams in Mai’adua Local Government Area, Katsina State, Nigeria

Vegetables are vital to human nutrition, but they can sometimes harbor pathogens, posing a threat to the consuming populace. This study assessed the parasitic contamination in irrigation water, farm soil, and vegetables in Mai’adua Local Government Area, Katsina State, Nigeria. A total of 840 samples (comprising 120 water, 120 soil, and 600 vegetable samples) were collected from Sabke and Koza irrigation sites during both the wet and dry seasons and examined for parasites using the sedimentation method. The results showed that water contamination rates were 46.6% and 45.0% during the wet and dry seasons, respectively, while the soil showed contamination rates of 53.3% and 48.3% in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Furthermore, vegetable contamination rates were 16.0% in the wet season and 18.7% in the dry season at Sabke, while at Koza, they were 18.0% in the wet season and 16.0% in the dry season, respectively. Among the parasites isolated, Entamoeba histolytica was the most frequent in water, with rates of 22.1% in the wet season and 22.9% in the dry season, respectively. Ascaris lumbricoides was widely distributed in soil (36.0% in wet and 42.9% in dry seasons, respectively). In vegetable samples, Ascaris lumbricoides also had the highest incidence (28.7% in the wet and 24.6% in the dry seasons). The overall contamination rates were 45.83% for water, 50.83% for soil, and 17.17% for vegetables. Spinach was the most contaminated (25.8%), followed by lettuce (23.3%), cabbage and pepper (14.7% each), and tomato (8.3%). The chi-square (χ²) test results indicated a significant (P < 0.05) difference between contamination and vegetable types. This study underscores the importance of farmers’ education on hygiene practices and the use of clean water for irrigation and consumption.