Prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in humans and cattle: Implications for zoonotic malaria transmission in Indonesia

Vet World Vol.18 July-2025 Article - 4

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(7): 1831-1839

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.1831-1839

Hamzah Hasyim¹, Babucarr Jassey^2,3, Ririh Yudhastuti², Misnaniarti Misnaniarti¹, Iche Andriyani Liberty¹, Elvi Sunarsih¹, Langgeng Priyanto⁴, Dalilah Dalilah⁵, Yusri Yusri¹, Fadhilah Eka Maharani⁶, Lukman Hakim⁷, Siti Herlinda^8,9, and Fildzah Hashifah Taufiq¹

1. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Sriwijaya, 30662 Indralaya, Indonesia.

2. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

3. Department of Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Quadrangle Banjul, The Gambia.

4. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, 30662 Indralaya, Indonesia.

5. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, 30662 Indralaya, Indonesia.

6. Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Bogor Agricultural University, 1668 Bogor, Indonesia.

7. Department of Malaria, Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia, 12950 Jakarta, Indonesia.

8. Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sriwijaya, 30662 Indralaya, Indonesia.

9. Research Center for Sub-optimal Lands (PUR-PLSO), Universitas Sriwijaya, 30662 Indralaya, Indonesia.

Background and Aim: Zoonotic malaria remains a significant public health concern in Southeast Asia. The potential role of cattle as reservoirs for Plasmodium spp. in Indonesia has not been fully elucidated, despite increasing recognition of animal reservoirs in malaria transmission dynamics. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in humans and cattle in a malaria-endemic region of Indonesia to explore the potential for zoonotic transmission and inform integrated control strategies aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 3.3.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March to July 2024 involving 41 human participants and 43 cattle. Blood samples were collected and analyzed using endpoint polymerase chain reaction techniques targeting Plasmodium genus-specific DNA sequences. The infection prevalence in both populations was determined, and the results were interpreted to assess the risk of zoonotic malaria transmission.

Results: All human blood samples tested negative for Plasmodium spp., corresponding to a 0% infection rate (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0%–8.5%). In contrast, one cattle sample tested positive, resulting in a 2.33% infection rate among cattle (95% CI: 0.06%–12.0%). The positive detection in cattle was confirmed by a distinct 240 base pairs band through agarose gel electrophoresis. The absence of infections in humans suggests the effectiveness of current public health measures, while the presence of Plasmodium DNA in cattle underscores the potential role of cattle as parasite reservoirs.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of integrating animal health surveillance into malaria elimination programs under the One Health framework. Although no zoonotic transmission to humans was observed, the detection of Plasmodium spp. in cattle warrants continuous surveillance, improved livestock management practices, and targeted vector control measures. Further studies with species-specific molecular diagnostics and broader geographic coverage are recommended to clarify the zoonotic potential and transmission dynamics involving cattle.

Keywords: cattle, Indonesia, malaria, One Health, Plasmodium spp., zoonoses.

How to cite this article: Hasyim H, Jassey B, Yudhastuti R, Misnaniarti M, Liberty IA, Sunarsih E, Priyanto L, Dalilah D, Yusri Y, Maharani FE, Hakim L, Herlinda S, and Taufiq FH (2025) Prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in humans and cattle: Implications for zoonotic malaria transmission in Indonesia, Veterinary World, 18(7): 1831-1839.

Received: 10-01-2025 Accepted: 30-05-2025 Published online: 08-07-2025

Corresponding author: Babucarr Jassey E-mail: babucarr.jassey-2023@fkm.unair.ac.id

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1831-1839

Copyright: Hasyim, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.