Introduction: People who work in the production of food are potential transporters and diffusers of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or any other agent that can cause disease. Commonly, an infected person eliminates between 100 to 1000 million pathogenic microorganisms per gram in their fecal matter. Diarrheic infections are the most commonly associated with the consumption of contaminated food, each year approximately 550 million people get sick and as a result cause 230, 000 deaths. ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of pathogens and related factors in food handlers of the Sumapaz region. MethodologyA cross-sectional study was conducted based on a database compiled between January 2016 and June 2017, provided by an occupational health IPS with records of 221 workers belonging to seven companies located in the Sumapaz region of Cundinamarca where food is handled. The variables included were sociodemographic, labor and those related to pathogens. The univariate frequencies and the measures of central tendency and dispersion were obtained. Results: The age of the workers was 36 years on average, the predominant sex was masculine (67%) and marital status was 42% married. The KOH was negative for 100% of the workers and in the pharyngeal swab 1. 8% (4) with abundant flora was found. The fusoespilar association did not show the presence of bacteria. In the leukocyte reaction, 96% (213) was scarce and absent (86%) prevailed in the mycelia. In the coprological results, 30. 3% (67) were positive for parasites, with Blastocistis Hominis being the most frequent with 16. 7% (37), followed by Cyst E. Nana with 12. 2%. ConclusionThe results show that the prevalence of intestinal parasites correspond to Blastocistis Hominis, Q. Endolimax Nana and Giardia Lambia which can cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal distension, hives, loss of appetite and fatigue, among others. Therefore, the implementation of epidemiological surveillance programs, training in Good Manufacturing Practices and continuous monitoring (periodic examinations) of workers are measures that play an important role in the prevention of infection.
