Incidence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites of free-ranging domestic dogs from the web valley, Bale mountains National park, Ethiopia

Domestic dogs (DDs), Canis lupus familiaris, are known carriers of pathogens that can spread globally to wildlife and humans. The transmission of infectious diseases from dogs poses a significant threat to Ethiopian wolves (EWs), Canis simensis, because of their shared environment with dogs and local people. Although some studies have examined EW parasites, the prevalence of helminth parasites in free-ranging DDs in Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) is relatively understudied. This study aims to assess the prevalence of helminth parasites in free-ranging DDs in the Web Valley, BMNP, Ethiopia. Fecal samples were collected from 38 free-ranging DDs from June to October 2020 and screened for helminth eggs via fecal sedimentation and centrifugal flotation methods with microscopy. The results revealed that 37 out of 38 dog fecal samples (97.36%) tested positive for helminth species across the two taxonomic groups, Nematoda and Cestoda. The most common parasite identified was Toxocara canis (57.9%), followed by Taenia spp. (52.63%), Diphyllobothrium spp. (31.57%), Trichuris vulpis (23.68%), Echinococcus spp. (18.42%), Toxascaris leonina (15.78%), Ancylostoma spp. (7.9%), Spirocera spp. (7.9%), and Capillaria spp. (5.26%), with Capillaria aerophila (2.63%) being the least prevalent. The infection profiles indicated varying degrees of concurrent parasitic presence. Out of the 38 dogs, 19 were from Sodota village, with 18 testing positive for helminths, whereas all 19 from Wolla village tested positive. The high prevalence of helminth parasites among the studied free-ranging dogs suggests significant environmental contamination in the area. Thus, regular parasite control, public education, and further epidemiological studies are essential.