PREVALENCE AND DETAIL MORPHOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF ENDOPARASITES OF MURINE RODENTS IN DHAKA CITY, BANGLADESH: SPECIAL REFERENCES TO PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE

Abstract

Rodents are common pests that transmit various deadly pathogens. Here we study the helminth parasites of rodents from different ecological niches. The Gastrointestinal helminths were investigated from a total of 70 rodents, namely Bandicota bengalensis (sand rice rat, n=20), Rattus rattus (black rat, n= 15), Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, n=25) and Mus musculus (house mouse, n=10). The rats were live-captured from houses in the slum areas (n=20) and stationary shops (n=20), residential buildings (n=15) and rice fields (n=15). The overall prevalence of helminth infection was 71.42%. The highest prevalence was found in R. norvegicus (84%), followed by B. bengalensis (75%), R. rattus (66.66%) and M. musculus (40%). Among different areas of Dhaka city, the highest prevalence rate was recorded in slum areas (85%). The parasites detected from the rodents were Taenia taeniformis (35%), Hymenolepis diminuta (47.14%), Moniliformis moniliformis (42.85%), Heterakis spumosa (60%) and Gongylonema neoplasticum (34.28%). To the best of our knowledge, G. neoplasticum is going to be reported for the first time from rodents in Bangladesh. Except H. spumosa, all the parasites recovered have public health significance. Therefore, proper attention needs to be paid for the prevention of rat borne zoonosis through the control of rodents.