Occurrence of helminths infection in norway rats (rattus norvegicus) from mueang district, chiang mai province

Abstract

Helminths of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) in the community may affect the health of animals either directly or indirectly. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of helminths in Norway rats (R. norvegicus) from Mueang District, Chiang Mai Province. It is expected that the main fi ndings of the present research will be applied for effective programs for curbing helminthes infection and monitoring the distribution of parasitic diseases that may occur in humans and animals. Thirty rat specimens were randomly collected from Mueang District, Chiang Mai Province, during the period from March to June 2011. Then the examination of for helminths under light microscope was carried out. The results showed that, three species of helminths were discovered and the total prevalence and intensity were determined as follows: Raillietina sp. (33.33% and 4.50), Capillaria sp. (70.00% and 28.50) and the strobilocercus larvae (20.00% and 3.00), respectively. Furthermore, adult cestodes and nematodes were found in duodenum and jejunum. The strobilocercus larvae and Capillaria sp. eggs were found in the liver tissue.