Gut microbiota diversity among humans, elephants, livestock and wild herbivores in Chitwan National Park bears implications for conservation medicine.

ABSTRACT: Gut microbiome influences host health and well-being. Co-occurring hosts may exchange disease-causing bacteria belonging to these microbial communities. Therefore, monitoring gut microbiota composition in wildlife and humans is paramount to prevent zoonotic diseases, thus protecting and strengthening public health. We characterized diversity and abundance of the gut microbiome bacterial component across mahouts (captive elephant trainers and handlers), their pachyderms, livestock and wild herbivores in and around Chitwan National Park (Nepal). Firmicutes and Bacteroidota were invariably the dominant phyla. In humans, the relative abundance of Firmicutes was higher, the alpha diversity lower and beta diversity different compared to other host categories. Livestock and wild herbivores displa

SUBMITTER: Rajbhandari RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11971256 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature