Prevalence and Distribution of Intestinal Parasites in Humans and Domestic Animals in Wa West District, Ghana: Implications for One Health Surveillance

Abstract

Intestinal parasites are an important One Health concern in rural communities where humans and domestic animals live in close proximity. This study assessed the prevalence and distribution of intestinal parasites detected among humans and domestic animals in the Wa West District of Ghana. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, involving 503 faecal samples comprising 438 animal samples and 65 human samples. Samples were examined using direct wet mounts, formol-ether concentration, flotation procedures, acid-fast staining and the McMaster technique. Socio-demographic and husbandry-related information was obtained using structured questionnaires. Among the sampled animals, parasite detection was 73.1% (320/438), while 67.7% (44/65) of human participants had at least one parasite taxon detected. Thirty-two morphologically identified taxa were recorded in animal samples and 17 taxa were recorded in human samples. Among animal categories, goats had the highest positivity (99.0%, 100/101), followed by cattle (75.0%, 15/20) and sheep (73.9%, 71/96). Among human participants, positivity was highest in children aged 0-5 years (93.8%, 30/32). Several taxa were recorded in both host groups. Because identification was based solely on morphology and the sampling was non-probabilistic at household/animal levels, the observed overlap should be interpreted as shared detection or possible shared environmental exposure rather than confirmed zoonotic transmission. These findings support integrated One Health surveillance, improved sanitation, veterinary care and health education.

The study identified a high frequency of intestinal parasite detection among sampled humans and domestic animals in Wa West District. All 100 participating households kept domestic animals and most used extensive animal-rearing systems. Although several morphologically identified taxa occurred in both humans and animals, the study did not establish cross-transmission because the samples were not fully matched and no molecular confirmation was performed. The findings therefore highlight opportunities for shared environmental exposure and the need for coordinated human, animal and environmental health surveillance. Future studies should use matched household sampling, larger probabilistic samples and molecular methods to verify unusual host-parasite associations.