Ecto-and Endo-Parasites in Rodents and Shrews From Four Habitats in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
The objectives of this study were to determine the rodent host species, to identify the parasites they harbor and to record those parasites that are of zoonotic importance. A total of 204 rodents were examined from four selected habitats in the states of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Th...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2009
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/6566/1/abstract_FPV_2009_12.pdf http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/6566/ |
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| Summary: | The objectives of this study were to determine the rodent host species, to identify the
parasites they harbor and to record those parasites that are of zoonotic importance. A
total of 204 rodents were examined from four selected habitats in the states of
Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The rodents were captured alive from five
urban sites in Kuala Lumpur, rice fields in Tanjung Karang, a coastal area in Port
Dickson and a Primary Forest Reserve in Gombak, Selangor. Standard laboratory
parasitological and statistical analyses were used. Fourteen different rodent species
belonging to three different mammalian groups were identified. Rattus rattus diardii
was the predominant rodent species (67%) trapped and examined. The study
revealed 53.9 % of the rodents examined had at least one species of helminth. A
total of 21 helminth species (7 cestodes, 12 nematodes, 1 trematode and 1
acanthocephala) were recovered. Gongylonema neoplasticum, Nippostrongylus
braziliensis, Hepatojarkus malayae, Heterakis supomosa, Capillaria hepatica Raillietina sp. Hymenolepis nana, H.diminuta, Hymenolepis sp. and Taenia
taeniaeformis were the predominant helminth species identified. The helminths of
zoonotic importance: Capillaria hepatica, Rictularia tani, Angiostrongylus sp.,
Taenia taeniaeformis, Hymenolepis nana, H. diminuta, Raillietina sp, Moniliformis
dubius, Armillifer moniliformis were also found. Trypanosoma sp. was the only
blood parasite found in the 204 rodents examined. Fourty seven percent of the
rodents were found to be infested with at least one of the 20 species of ecto-parasites
recovered. The common ecto-parasites recovered were Laelaps nuttali, L.
echidnanus, L. sculpturata, Polyplax spinulosa, Hoplopleura pacifica, Ixodes
granulatus, Dermacentor sp. and Haemaphysalis sp. The ecto-parasites that are of
human medical importance are Laelaps sp., Gahrlepia sp., Walchiella sp.,
Ornthonyssus bacoti, Haemaphysalis sp., Dermacentor sp., Ambloyomma sp. and
Ixodes sp. and Xenopsylla cheopis. A total of 147 ecto-parasites (ticks, n=15, fleas,
n= 31, lice, n=30 and mites, n=71) were recovered from the rodents. Rattus rattus
diardii was found to harbour a wide range of ecto and endo-parasites some of which
have been identified as zoonotic. There was no significant relationship between the
sex of rodents and parasitic infestion. However, significant association was seen
between ecto and endo-parasitic infection and habitats. Rodents from the urban
habitats comparatively were found to harbour a wider range of parasites, some of
which are of human medical importance. |
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