TITLE:
Prevalence and Intensity of Zoonotic Gastrointestinal Helminths, Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance among Dogs and Their Owners in Buea, Southwest Region of Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Fidelia Lem Mbafor, Kusamia Kaspa Nahvoma, Emmanuel Acha Asongalem, Frankline Konfor Ngeh, Archille Paguem, Oben Ebob Ashu Arrey
KEYWORDS:
Gastrointestinal Helminths, Bacteria, Dogs, AMR, Zoonosis, Buea
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.8,
August
31,
2026
ABSTRACT: Dogs are popular pets that play integral roles in human societies worldwide. Unfortunately, they can carry potential zoonotic infections that can be transmitted to humans. However, data on the Gastrointestinal (GI) helminth and bacteria affecting dogs and their owners in Buea, Cameroon, are currently lacking. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of GI helminth, bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in feces of dogs and their owners in this area using a community based cross sectional study design. Fecal samples from dogs and their owners were tested for helminths and bacterial infections. Flotation technique was used to identify eggs of nematodes and cestode while sedimentation technique was used to identify trematode eggs. Bacteria analysis was done by growing feces on culture media and AST was done using some antibiotic disk to check for the rate of resistance across different localities. The data were analyzed with respect to age, sex, and locality using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. A total of 402 samples were examined for dogs and humans. Out of 253 dogs examined, 196 dogs were infected with at least one parasite (77.5%) and bacterial infections (17.0%). For humans, out of 149 samples examined 47 individuals were infected with at least one parasite (31.5%) and bacterial infections (6.7%). Among 13 parasites examined in dogs, A. caninum recorded the highest prevalence 51.4%, followed by T. canis 17.0%. 6 parasites were identified in humans. A. lumbricoide has the highest prevalence 10.2% followed by T. canis spp. Generally, in both dogs and humans, E. coli was more prevalent compared to Salmonella spp. There was high resistance to antibiotics in some localities like Muea, Bonduma and Bova 1. E. coli and Samonella spp isolates showed high resistance for AMC-20ug and AM-30ug across all localities for both dogs and humans with a prevalence ranging from 33.3% to 100%. The discovery of zoonotic helminth parasites and bacteria in dogs and their owners from Buea with the high rate of resistance observed across most localities, raises concerns for the inhabitants. Initiatives will be required to inform pet owners about prevention strategies for these parasitic infections, bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance.