Prevalence and diversity of Helicobacter species in captive wild carnivores, and their implications for conservation management of endangered species.

Helicobacter species colonize the gastrointestinal tract of various hosts, and are of interest due to their potential zoonotic transmission and impact on health of humans and animals. Comprehensive studies involving wild animals from different locations are lacking, hindering our understanding of their host range, prevalence, and genetic diversity. We investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of Helicobacter species in thirteen wild carnivore species across twenty-two captive locations in India by targeting a partial region of the 16S rRNA gene. We used sequences obtained from positive samples for phylogenetic analysis, and evaluated factors influencing Helicobacter prevalence. We analysed faecal samples of 985 individuals of which 286 (29%) tested positive for Helicobacter, spanning all the host species included in this study. Helicobacter prevalence is strongly related to host species and location, and varied from 7.3% in common leopard to 80% in Indian fox. Phylogenetic analysis identified 59 unique genotypes clustered into 11 groups of three major Helicobacter types: enterohepatic, gastric, and unsheathed. Diverse Helicobacter species associated with diseases in humans and domestic animals were observed, such as H. canis, H. bilis, along with several novel genotypes which require formal classification. Overall, this study highlights the wide occurrence and high genetic diversity of Helicobacter species in captive wild carnivores in India. Our findings underscore the need for regular health assessments in captive facilities to monitor Helicobacter infections, which could impact health and management of endangered species. Future research should explore Helicobacter presence in biotic/ abiotic factors in zoo and free-ranging populations following One Health approaches.