A POTENTIAL ZOONOTIC PARASITE: CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM TRANSMISSIONINRATS, PIGSANDHUMANS IN WEST LOMBOK, INDONESIA

Background: Cryptosporidium is a neglected zoonotic disease, but with the expansion of the human community intotheanimalenvironment, its incidence is increasing. Animals such as rats and pigs can act as intermediate hosts and transmit Cryptosporidiumtohumans due to their proximity. Transmission occurs due to the ability of Cryptosporidium to survive in any newhost. Theresearchaimed to identify and describe the transmission of Cryptosporidium from animals to humans. Materials and Methods: This research was a cross sectional study and samples were collected from 84 rats caught inresidentialareas,205 pigs, and 438 humans in West Lombok. Feces samples were examined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) andsequencingtoisolate the presence of Cryptosporidium, and identify the genetic similarity of the parasites found in rats and pigs withthosethatinfecthumans. Results: The PCR results found Cryptosporidium parvum in 4.76% (4/84) in rats; 6.34% 13/205) in pigs; and 0.91%(4/438) inhumans.The sequencing results showed genetic kinship of C. parvum in rats, pigs, and humans. Based on sequence confirmationfromGeneBanks and edited using ClustalW with MEGA X software, there are genetic similarities between CryptosporidiumisolatesfromWestLombok and C. suis isolates of cattle from Uganda and C. suis isolates of pigs from Slovakia. Conclusion: There are genetic similarities of Cryptosporidium in animals and humans, requiring that the Public Healthprogramsinthose contaminated areas must receive priority attention to prevent further transmission of these potentially fatal parasites.