| dc.description.abstract | Foodborne illnesses from pathogenic microorganisms are a global health concern. Fresh
green leafy vegetables are vital but prone to contamination, necessitating precautions.
The present study aimed to determine the pathogenic bacterial contamination in the fresh
green leafy vegetable samples from Pettah, Wellawatte, and Nugegoda areas in Western
Province, Sri Lanka. A total of 250 fresh green leafy vegetables, were purchased from
commercial markets, with five different varieties represented. From each group of 50
samples, microorganisms were isolated and identified using conventional standard methods
and biochemical tests such as Indole, Citrate, MRVP, TSI, Motility test, chromogenic
culture, and Gram-staining. The analysis was obtained from Microsoft Excel 2010 and
SPSS V23.0. Eight pathogenic bacterial species namely; Escherichia coli (20%), Shigella
spp. (25%), Klebsiella spp. (50%), Enterobacter spp. (15%), Proteus spp. (10%) and Salmonella
spp. (25%), Citrobacter spp. (15%) were identified from green leafy vegetables. The Lactuca
sativa shows the highest significant pathogenic contamination Escherichia coli (60%) and
Salmonella spp. (60%), followed by 20% of contamination each of Klebsiella spp. and
Proteus spp. compared to other varieties (P = 0.003, p < 0.05). All three regions exhibited
substantial contamination with a minimum of five microorganism types, with the Pettah
region displaying the highest contamination at 100% followed by Wellawatta and Nugegoda
but there is no significant difference in contamination (P = 0.115, p > 0.05). The Pettah
region demonstrated a significant prevalence of Salmonella spp. contamination at 57.14%,
whereas Nugegoda exhibited Klebsiella spp. at 50% (p < 0.05). Poor hygiene issues of
vendors identified as key facts contributing to the pathogenic contamination. | en_US |
