Intestinal Parasites of Zoonotic Significance in Human and Domestic Animals in a Rural Setting in Nepal

Intestinal parasitic (IP) species with zoonotic significance are major public health issues, mostly prevalent in developing countries, leading to high morbidity and mortality. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of IP species in humans and domestic animals, compare and contrast the zoonotic potentialities and investigate the associated factors in the Solukhumbu District, Nepal. The fresh faecal samples from humans (N = 200), cattle (N = 20), dogs (N = 20) and pigs (N = 20) were collected using a non-invasive purposive sampling method, preserved in 2.5% potassium dichromate, and examined by direct wet mount, flotation and modified acid-fast techniques. Sociodemographic data were obtained through a structured questionnaire, interviews and focal group discussions. The overall prevalence rate of IP species in all hosts was recorded as 70.77% (184/260), with infection rates of 65.5% in humans, 100% in cattle and pigs and 65% in dogs, with a total of 23 species. Cryptosporidium spp., Balantidium coli, Ascaris spp., taeniid and Acanthocephala spp. were shared by all hosts. Taeniid (18.5%) in humans, Entamoeba spp. (85%) in cattle, Strongyle (70%) in pigs and Cryptosporidium spp. (30%) in dogs were the most prevalent species. Significant associations were observed between a few IP species and participants' characteristics like education status, drug intake history, occupation type, feeding habit and disease checkup priorities (p < 0.05). These findings reinforce the need to consider deworming campaigns for both humans and domestic animals. Further, one-health approaches involving extensive datasets of faecal samples from animals and humans living nearby and environmental samples would address zoonoses more effectively.