Sanitation Practices and Incidence of Helminthic Infections Among Food Handlers

The study aimed to evaluate the hygienic practices of the foodhandlers and the incidence of helminthic infections among the randomly selected food-handling parents of Zone 9, Poblacion, El Salvador City. The study was limited only to the identification of the intestinal helminths in the stool samples. The research utilized a descriptive research design with diagnostic procedures to determine the incidence of helminthic infection. A sanitation inspection form from the City Health Department was utilized in assessing the hygienic practices of the foodhandlers. The fecal samples were examined for the presence of helminthic ova through Formalin-Ether Concentration Technique (FECT). The results showed that out of the 21 research subjects, all tested negative for any helminthic infection. The zero incidence of helminthic infections among the food-handling parents was mainly attributed to better sanitation and better hygienic practices. Thus, there was no risk of transmission of intestinal helminths from food-handling parents to children consumers.

Keywords:  Helminthic infection, incidence, hygiene, food-handling parents.